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KDOM Update
Released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, January 7, 1999 |
Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-4850) from daily reports
of the U.S. element of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observer MissionJanuary 7, 1999
(Editor's Note: With the progressive changeover of responsibility from KDOM to OSCE/KVM, the KDOM Daily Report has been replaced by this Update, which will be published as material becomes available.)
Kosovo remains generally calm on the eve of the Serbian Orthodox Christmas. Pristina, however, saw a low level of violence on the evening of January 5 and the KLA reportedly attacked the police near Belacevac on January 6.
The Pristina incidents began when unknown individuals attempted to throw a "bomb" through the window of a popular Serbian coffee bar in the downtown area. The object did not break the window, but exploded outside the bar slightly injuring three Serbian teenagers. The incident triggered a Serb response involving the "trashing" of nearby bars frequented by ethnic Albanians. No injuries were reported from the reactive violence. Police are investigating the bomb which, ethnic Albanian sources told KDOM, was thrown by two Serbian brothers. Ethnic Albanians are proceeding carefully on January 6 in the fear that the incidents may foretell increased urban violence (a la Northern Ireland).
The evening of January 6 -- the Serbian Christmas Eve -- was punctuated by automatic weapons fire -- a traditional celebratory gesture, not a firefight. The shooting, however, was uncomfortably close to KDOM headquarters.
According to unofficial Serbian sources, 20 KLA troops attacked a Serbian police post at Belacevac early on the evening of January 6. One policeman was reportedly killed in the firefight. KDOM cannot confirm this report, but will investigate the claims with KVM. Belacevac is primarily an ethnic Albanian town.
On January 6, KVM established a permanent outstation in Malisevo where U.S. KDOM has maintained a permanent presence for the past month. During KDOM's presence some 50 families returned to the village. KDOM, USAID, UNHCR, KVM, and several NGOs have cooperated in cleaning up and repairing the village's facilities. All agencies are also encouraging the return of more IDPs to Malisevo where there have been no flare-ups of violence since November 8.
Podujevo remains calm, according to KVM and Albanian sources, with Serb police and the VJ battle group remaining on the scene. The KVM maintains a permanent presence in the town and is operating four to six missions daily in the area.
The area west of Urosevac appears to be simmering. KVM reports an increasingly aggressive police posture along the strategic Stimlje-Suva Reka-Prizren road and in nearby villages. KDOM will send a patrol to the villages west of Urosevac on January 7. There was serious violence on January 5 in Vitina, southeast of Urosevac when two ethnic Albanian service station workers died in a hail of gunfire. No motive for the killings is apparent. Several sources expressed particular concern over these killings in an area heretofore peaceful and quiet.
U.S. KDOM presently has 21 State and Defense Department personnel plus 10 contractors. The remaining contract personnel have been assigned to the OSCE KVM mission.
[End of Document]
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