KOSOVO: SEPT 20-26, 1998 - WORDS FROM THE PEOPLE

[SAINT MICHAEL]

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK

20 SEPTEMBER, 1998

At least 18 Albanians were killed by Serb troops in Llapi region
during the past week. MAKSUT ISLAM RAKALIU (68) from Dobratin village

and FETAH SEFER BEHRAMI (54) were killed when Serb troops were
deployed with 75 tanks between Dobratin and Bajcine villages of the
municipality of Podujeve, at the start of their action. JASHAR FETAH
BEHRAMI (28) is found killed in Kacanoll village of Podujeve together
with another unidentified person; in this village were also killed
ILAZ BALI HYSENI (82), MIHANE RAME HYSENI (75F) and ELEZ BEGU
(55).
Remains of another six burnt Albanians were found within burnt and
destroyed houses in the road between Dobratin and Bajcine villages.
UCK issued one statement saying that its fighters FADIL SEJDIU, NAZMI
ZHEGROVA, BEKIM LUSHAKU, BEKIM MALIQI and HABIB ZEKA were
killed
during the fight. On the other hand, in Llapi region as missing are
counted RAMADAN BEHRAMI (60), MUHAMET FAZLIU (36), RRAHIM
RAMADANI
(16), EJUP SEJDIU (36), BEQIR LEPAJA (28), HAKI REKALIU (35) and
XHAFER AJVAZI. There are speculations that some of these missing
persons might as well be the burnt and carbonized victims in the
three burnt houses between Dobratin and Bajcine villages. Serb
offensive left behind 6 farmhouses burnt in Dobratin and 19 of them in
Kacanoll villages.

Serb crackdown on Albanian communities after deadline for
surrendering weapons expires. Villages of Damjan, Lipovec and Gorcine
fo the municipality of Gjakove were encircled for hours by huge
troops. Villagers who remained within the villages, fear an imminent
attack. Brutal campaign has started against them. Several of them are
taken at the police station in Gjakove. One group of 200 Albanians
from Gjakova area attempted to flee for Albania. They were attacked at
a location called "Shpatulla e Bobit" near Deva village. It is
believed that they were killed attempting to cross the border. On the
other hand, two wounded Albanians were brought to the morgue of
Gjakova and they are identified as AVNI KADRIA (21) from Stubell
village and SHYHRETE BAJRAMI (12F) from Strellc i Ulet of Decan;
details on how they got wounded are not known yet.

In Skenderaj municipality, villages of Prekaz i Eperm and kline e
Poshtme are under heavy artillery attack. Several thousands of IDPs
are still camping in open, in Klina area. Those who returned to their
homes, are baring the brunt of serb campaign of repression now; AHMET
GASHI (60) from Siceve village, SHABAN SHERIFI, DEME MORINA,
FETAH
SNAJLI and AHMET BRAHIMI are reported as being harassed. Police
arrested 13 local Albanians this week; the six released later on,
speak of torture and brutality used against them.

SADRI LUMA from Gracke e Vjeter village of Lipjan was wounded on the
Prishtina-Lipjan roadway together with RAMADAN JASHARI. They were
halted and ill-treated by a Serb police patrol, and after being let
go, one of the policemen shot three bullets wounding badly Sadri
Luma.

UCK detained 13 members of a delegation of Kosovar political parties
and MPs. Women politicians were released immediately. The reason of
detention is unclear.

21 SEPTEMBER, 1998

As two Serb soldiers had been killed during the fight in the area
between Llapashtice and Obrance villages of Podujeva, Serb militaries
told Hasan Potera, the secondary school teacher to assemble the
leadership of the two villages, threatening they will attack and raze
them to the ground if the leaders do not show up. Shelling started on
Llapashtice immediately; population fled their homes amidst pouring
rain, and at least 18 Albanians were killed and 45 houses are burnt
and destroyed in the two villages. In the 3 burnt houses of Lepaja
family compound, located between the villages of dobratin and
Bajcine, where 6 Albanians were burnt, two of them are identified as
RRAHIM KADRI LEPAJA (30) and BEQIR XHAFER LEPAJA (28); these
two had
been arrested on last Thursday while on their way back to home, fled
two days before along with other people because of the attacks on
them. They were heading back to take one of their mother who remained
behind. In the body of Rrahim, the hole of a bullet was evident.
According to the stage of their bodies, these two were probably shot
dead and mutilated before being burnt in their houses. The bodies of
the other four cannot be identified yet. About 100 meters away from
the house of Fehmi Rekaliu, remains of two people are found in two
burnt cars.

Kosovar officials are calling the serb action of a scorched land as a
"Pattern of Serb Crematorium" against the Albanian population.

Attacks on Likovc, Makermal and Polluzhe villages of Skenderaj
continue. At least 23 Albanians are killed during the last days' Serb
offensive against Shale e Bajgores area, North from Prishtine.

Two girls, age 12 and 8, daughters of XHEMAIL DRAGIDELLA were
wounded
in the village of Grabanice, municipality of Klina, when the tractor
they were perched on together with other IDP family members. This
family was fleeing for life.

ABEDIN FERIZI, local head of LDK in Pasome village was shot and
seriously wounded by Serb troops on 17 September; he died our of the
wounds. HALIL MUSTAFA from Smrekovnica village was killed when
Abedin was wounded.

Villages of Dedaj, Lugishte, Kushnin, Kabash and Romaje of the
Prizren municipality, located near Kosova-Albanian border are under
virtual siege by Serb troops since last Saturday. Villagers are
ordered to 'surrender every single piece of weapon' they possess or
else 'face a complete destruction'. Serbs have separated men from
women at Kabash village and confined them in one of the houses in the
village.

The five member family MATAJ, as BEQIR (67), SEJDI (60), ISA (75),
MONE (70F) and FANE (70F) from Pobergje village of Decan are missing
since 29 May 1998. According to estimates, over 900 persons are
considered missing in Kosova so far.

Hasi region of Gjakove is facing burnings and destructions by Serb
troops and paramilitary units. Those farmhouses that survived
bombardments earlier this year are being now set ablaze and
destroyed. Over the past few days scores of farmhouses have been
burnt in the villages of Gercine, Pnish, Romaje, Demjan and other
hamlets in Hasi region.

The elementary school "Fan S. Noli" at a suburb of Gjakove, where the
Serb troops had been based at and launched from repeated attacks
against Albanian communities, has been now demolished completely.
Before leaving this school, these forces smashed everything,
including benches and chairs, doors and windows. They afterwards
broke into several shops and warehouses of the area, by looting and
destroying goods with thousands of German marks.

22 SEPTEMBER, 1998

Kosova Defence Minister AHMET KRASNIQI is assassinated in Tirana, by
two unidentified persons.

Large-scale offensive mounts against Albanian living villages
North-West of Prishtina. Initial reports indicate at least 16
wounded, of whom 2 children wounded in Prekaz and Mikushnica
villages. Villages of Prilluzhe, Gllavotin, Bivolak, Strofc,
Zhilivode, Becuk, Cikatove e Re, Cikatove e Vjeter and Poklek i Ri
have been under heavy fire since early morning. Smoke is coming from
all these villages. Qirez village has thousands of IDPs. Shelling on
Hamidi and Sibovc villages started. Tanks are situated on the
Prishtina-Vushtrri-Mitrovica right side of the roadway. Serb forces
have advanced into the villages of Terstenik, Gllobar, Prekaz, etc.,
torching houses around. Dobroshec, Cikatove, Baice and Gllanaselle
villages are being continuously shelled; they are burning. Population
has fled to the mountains.

Heavy troops with tanks and armored vehicles set fire after looting
on the houses of the village Lajthishte., Sibovc, Hamidi, Grabovc,
Shipitulle, Gllavotin, Zhilivode, Mihaliq and Strofc. These villages
were full of IDPs, now together with natives running for safety
towards Cicavica mountains.

Three villages in Mitrovica municipality were shelled today. Vaganica
e Eperme, Vernica and Pirc are the targeted villages. When troops
entered the village of Vaganice, they embarked on a brutal campaign
of repression and intimidation; six farmhouses of GASHI and HAXHIU
family compounds are set ablaze. Plunderings and destructions
continue proceeded with actual burnings.

Finally the four burnt Albanians in Podujeva area are identified as
XHAFER AJVAZI (60), EJUP SEJDIU (36), RRAHIM RAMADANI (16) from
Dobratin village and MUHAMET FAZLIU (35) from Llaushe village.
According to the way the corpses looked, these people were first
tortured and then killed and burnt.

FLORIJE KAMAJ (35F), CANE CELAJ (29) and NASER BAJRAMAJ (15)
were
killed and SHYHRETE BAJRAMAJ (F), VJOLLCA BAJRAMAJ (F) and two
other
men were wounded in an Alpine summer hut in Strellc mountainous
village of Decan. Several other Albanians were tortured badly by Serb
police, including SOFE BAJRAMAJ (F), ELEZ KAMAJ, HASAN HOXHAJ,
AJMANE
HOXHAJ (F) and ISUF DEMUSH KURTULAJ.

Serb troops order Albanians of the village Gjinovc, Sopia, Mushtisht
and Recan of Suhareke to deliver weapons or face brutal crackdown.
Similar ultimatums for surrendering weapons have been lately issued
to many villages of Kosova before attacking them.

Albanian communities of the villages Dedaj, Lugishte, Kushnin, Kabash
and Romaje, bordering with Albania are being terrorized. After being
ordered to surrender all the weapons they allegedly possess or else
'face a complete destruction'. Several houses and barns are set
ablaze.

XHAVIT HAZIRI, human rights activist in Prishtine was abducted today
by two Serb policemen in plain clothes.

23 SEPTEMBER, 1998

Eleven Albanians were killed and around 20 wounded during the
shelling of Mitrovica villages. In Vernice village Serb forces killed
NYSRET FERATI (60), ADEM AZEMI (38) and SALI SEJDIU (26). In Pirc ,
SELIM SAGAQI (65) was killed and three others wounded. In Oshlan,
SHEREMET SHEREMETI (40) and RRAHIM MEHMETI (60) are identified
among
the killed, but the other killed civilians were not able to be
identified.

Tens of thousands of IDPs are heading to cicavica mountains of
Drenica. Serb forces were burning this morning the villages of
Polluzhe and Shtutice, whereas shelling is going in the direction of
Baks and Qirez villages, where tens of thousands of IDPs have been
camping out. Morine and Rrezalle villages are being shelled too.
Infantry entered the villages of Gllavotin, Bivolak and Becuk. Around
20.000 IDPs are reported in the mountainous forests of Vucak. Most
of them are women, children and elderly, among whom many sick, hungry
and without clothes in these cold times. TAFIL AZEMI (42) from
Novolan village died while fleeing.

One hundred Albanian young men are reported as rounded up with heavy
Serb police forces on a train bound for Fushe-Kosove (Kosovo-Polje).
The detainees are taken to the police station.

Two more killed are found in Dobratin village of Podujeve and
identified as ALI REKALIU (26) and SELIM REKALIU (25); they were
killed in the forests, properties of their family compound.

Many Albanians are being held captive in Ferrou-Nickels Plant of
Gllogovc. Number is not specified, but an eye-witness who managed to
escape claims that the captives are subjected to brutal torture. Serb
troops advanced towards the village of Baica, burning scores of
houses, including also the villages of Gllavotin, Cikatove, Terstenik
and Verbovc; houses are first being looted and then set ablaze.

MIGJEN SADIKU (26) from Sibovc village of Obiliq was arrested two
days ago when driving on tractor his neighbor HABIBE SHALJANI (F),
wounded; he was taking her to the hospital. Otherwise, nine
civilians, actually nine members of the SHALJANI family compound are
wounded during the attack: EMINE (75F), ABDULLAH (40M), HABIBE
(37F),
FIKRIJE (15F), AVNI (16M) and AMIR (14M). Population is in a run, for
safer areas. One of the residents said "It was terrible seeing what
is happening to us at dawn. All we could do was run towards the
hills".

Serb forces are holding key positions near Kciq i Madh village of
Mitrovice. The movement of these troops is creating fear and panic
among the citizens. Breaking up into the bakery of BINAK SHABANI of
Shipol village, police forces took away one TVset, one satellite
receiver and the appliances. Meanwhile, police arrested several
Albanians in the streets of mitrovice proper.

Kosovar delegation of political parties and MPs detained by UCK two
days ago, is released today.

24 SEPTEMBER, 1998

Vushtrri villages of Becuk, Pantine, Okrashtice, as well as a number
of farmhouses of Shtitarice villages are burning. FATON SYLA (15) was
killed during the shelling of the village of Becuk. The two corpses,
killed two days ago are identified as HAJRULLAH GJAKA (63) and BISLIM
BRAHIMI, both from Oshlan village. HAJRIZ M. ISLAMI (24), ENVER M.
ISLAMI (33) from Taraxha village and SAFET SHALA from Leqine village
are reported as arrested and ill-treated in police station of
vushtrri.

Serb infantry torches Cicavica mountainous villages, separates men
from women and children, and there is fear that the casualty-toll is
high. Klina e Eperme and Ternavc villages are burning, number of
killed and wounded is feared to be high. Thousands of Albanians were
entrapped in the villages which came under Serb attack or burnt
today.. One group of women and children in eight tractors is sent by
Serb forces in the direction of skenderaj. Meanwhile one lorry-load
of some 50 Albanian men is taken to the police station in Mitrovice
this afternoon.

Tens of thousands of IDPs are sent by Serb forces to the Cicavica
mountains. Some 30.000 of them who fled their attacked villages have
been camping out in Reznik village alone. There many wounded people
among the IDPs. Meanwhile population of Shallc village is driven
forcefully from their homes. Serb paramilitaries have occupied the
farmhouses. One delegation of ICRC has not been allowed to visit the
attacked and burning villages of vushtrri. Serb police turned them
back.

Several other villages of Obiliq area are under dead siege. The iron
siege of thousands of Serb forces have surrounded the villages of
Sibovc, Hamidi, Shipitulle, Grabovc i Eperm, Gllavotin, Becuk,
Strofc, Zhilivode,... Meanwhile parents NAFIJE and MUSA KELMENDI
from
sibovc village have reported that they know nothing about the fate of
their four children since 22 September, at the time when the Serb
troops launched their offensive against the villages of cicavica.
They have some deep suspect that their children TOMOR (13), ARTA
(15F), ARBERESHA (10F) and DUKAGJIN (7) might be taken hostage by
Serb forces.

LULZIM GASHI (17) was shot dead near the local primary school in
Llazica village of Malisheve.

Police has taken 60 men of Prekaz village to the police station in
Gllogovc; they are in a very bad condition. According to an
eye-witness they are being apparently subjected to brutal torture.

IDPs are being chased and killed in Drenica hills, near Baica
village of Gllogovc. Serb troops cracked down on hundreds of
displaced people camping in the "Fusha e Molles" valley. Many of them,
mostly young men and teenagers, were apprehended and taken to the
police stations in Gllogovc and Mitrovica. Some of the detainees are
believed to have been taken to the Ferrou-Nickel Plant' premises near
Gllogvc. Identities of killed IDPs are still not reported.

Villages of Recan and Krushice e ulet of Suhareka municipality are
being shelled. HAZIR BYLYKBASHI (48) received life-threatening wounds
in Recan. Shelling is going on in the direction of Budakove village
too. Residents of Leshan village have been issued repeated warnings
by Serb forces to either surrender their weapons or face risk of
raze.

Has region South-West of Kosova, near Albanian border is being fled.
Several villages of this region have been issued ultimatums over the
past days to deliver weapons they allegedly possess, or risk
represals. According to the reports of the local emergency needs
groups, around 45,000 Albanians are uprooted from the area and found
shelter in Prizren town.

25 SEPTEMBER, 1998

Two still unidentified gunmen attempted to assassinate at his
staircase of his apartment Dr. Sabri Hamiti, at Dardania quarter of
Prishtina. Dr. Hamiti is one of the most productive authors in
Kosova. He wrote about twenty books of poetry and critics. He is an
LDK activist and MP.

At least 7 Albanians slain and 70 arrested by Serb police in Verbovc
village of Gllogovc. After the brutal attack on this village, Serb
troops massacred people around. Rrahim Kastrati, an LDK activist of
this village reported that amongst the slain people there was an old
woman BAHTIE GASHI (81). Three of the killed had their throat cut.
Their bodies are still in front of the local mosque and no one dares
to pick them up and identify as police is still in the village. Names
of the other killed are not revealed, but names of some of those
arrested are: RAMADAN KASTRATI, FEHMI KASTRATI, BEKIM
KASTRATI,
MILAIM KASTRATI, AGRON KASTRATI, ISA KASTRATI, AVNI PROKSHI,
ISMET
PROKSHI, PERPARIM PROKSHI, MURSEL PROKSHI, FERAT
PROKSHI, FITIM
PROKSHI, AGRON PROKSHI, SHPETIM PROKSHI (child), BEKIM
PROKSHI
(child), FATBARDH DAKA, FARUK DAKA, HAKI PROKSHI, ABEDIN
GLLAREVA,
ISUF GLLAREVA, RUZHDI GLLAREVA, ZYMER GASHI, NJAZI GASHI,
KUJTIM
GASHI, VEHBI GASHI, MENTOR DOBRA, ARBEN DOBRA, ENVER
DOBRA, ABEDIN
GADHI, FATON DOBRA, XHEVAT DOBRA, MILAIM BAJRAKTARI,
ENVER GASHI,
ALBERT DOBRA, ARBEN GASHI, CLIRIM GASHI, MILAIM GASHI,
ARMEND GASHI,
SABRI DOBRA, YLBER DELIU, VESEL ALIU, REXHEP FIKU, QERIM
FIKU,
BAJRAM RUKOLLI, REXHEP ZABELI FERIZ GASHI, ISTREF SABRIJA,
ARSIM
PROKSHI, TAFE RUKIQI and his wife HALIME RUKIQI, YLBER RUKIQI
(child), AVNI RUKIQI (child), SAFET RUKIQI (child), LIRIDON RUKIQI
(child), JANUZ RUKIQI, REKE ALIU, SHABAN ZYHRANI, BEDRI HAMITI,
ENVER BYLYKBASHI, FATOS BYLYKBASHI, ABEDIN BYLYKBASHI,
YMER HAJDARAJ.
Out of altogether 160 houses that Verbovc village has, over 100 of
them have been burnt and destroyed.

Sources in Gllogovc say that around 300 people are being held in the
local police station courtyard. Dozens of other are reported last
days rounded up in other villages of Drenica.

The girl FITORE KLINAKU died in Cicavica mountains, North-West of
Prishtina, when a mortar hit the tractor her family was fleeing.
Fitore is from Bivolak village of Vushtrri. THE OTHER NINE MEMBER OF
HER FAMILY WERE WOUNDED. Anyhow IDP camping in Drenica hills
are
being killed, as today's reports say another 4 IDPs were killed near
Baica village of Gllogovc: SHYQYRI KRASNIQI, SKENDER KARAXHA,
BEHXHET
KARAXHA and as reported the son of Beqir Morina, all from Gllobar
village. All the Drenica villages are under the scores of threats to
vanish from the earth, as Serb forces once entering them , they loot
the houses, and then burnt subsequently. Cicavica villages are being
pounded day and night. Shelling is opened on the villages of Poklek i
Vjeter and Vasileva. Possible casualties are not available.

Suhareka villages of Krushice, Mohlan, Budakove and Papaz are pounded
for hours. After entering the villages of Krushice and Mohlan, Serb
forces are terrorizing the villagers and IDPs; NAIT VESELAJ, XHAVIT
VESELAJ, NEXHAT VESELAJ are the names reported tortured among
others.

The Serb Court sentenced altogether 63 years of prison to NESIM CURRI
- 10 YEARS, RUFKI SUMA - 10 year prison, ARIF CURRI - 7 year,
SHERIF
BERISHA - 6 year, HAMIT BERISHA - 5 year, REXHEP SHKRETA - 5
year,
ZEKERIA SHKRETA - 5 year, FADIL SHKRETA - 5 year, SHEFKET
TOPOJANI -
5 year, and HAMIT BERISHA - 5 year. These 11 Albanians from Hani i
Elezit municipality are charged for aleged hostile activities. 7 of
the sentenced are tried in absent.

26 SEPTEMBER, 1998

Accounts from the areas in war are very tragic. Since Wednesday
morning around 20 villages on the mountain foot of Cicavica have been
under a fierce attack - Serb offensive. So far 68 victims are
reported. Most of them were killed during the first day of the Serb
offensive against these villages. So far, they can be resumed as 10
Albanians were killed in Galica village, 4 in Oshlan village, 13 in
Zhilivoda village, 20 in Beqiq, 3 in Lubovec, 5 in Prekaz, 1 in Klina
e Eperme, 4 in Dashevc and 8 in Shtutice village. Witnesses say that
they have seen 13 to 15 massacred bodies in the plains above the
village of Zhilivoda. Twenty others are uncollected at Beqiq village.
CDHRF activist in vushtrri confirmed earlier this week the identity
of 22 Albanians killed in different villages. Around 60.000 IDPs have
found shelter in Vushtrri itself. The offensive in Drenica is
stepping up. Some 40.000 IDPs have fled to Mitrovica. In the wake of
this Serb offensive, only Vushtrri can be resumed with 15 villages
burnt down and 37 villages emptied completely by inhabitants.

On the other hand, reports say that around 5000 civilians are
entrapped inside Serb siege in Dobroshec village of Gllogovc.
Hundreds of IDPs are camping in the place called "Fusha e Molles",
one valley in the Drenica hills, where at least four of them have
been killed. Brutal attack are facing the villages of Likovc, Obri,
Terdec and Baica. Fire and smoke could be seen from long distance,
even from the roadway Malisheva-Prishtina, when the humanitarian
convoy was heading back (16.30CET). People from Poklek could be seen
fleeing for life in the highway Prishtina-Peja, in fear, crying and
trying to avoid police checkpoints and patrols. Grabovc village,
only 15 km from Prishtine could be seen in flame. Scores of
farmhouses are reported to be burning. Meanwhile, Serb troops are
garrisoned in the houses that are not burnt in the villages where the
population fled for life.

Lists of tens of killed people are coming hour by hour. According to
still incomplete accounts, over 100 Albanians have been killed during
the unfolding offensive against the communities lived completely by
Albanians, in drenica area. Witnesses say while fleeing for life
that many of people got killed while attempting to flee their homes
and villages targeted by the Serb forces. Scores of them are
mutilated, and they say one at least was stabbed to death.

Reported by,

Sevdie Ahmeti