Markale in Kosovo

Markale in Kosovo

(By AIM correspondent from Pristina)

AIM Pristina, 16 March, 1999

The terrible spectacle left after recent explosions in Podujevo and Kosovska Mitrovica are no news in the course of the war in Kosovo. There have been incidents with more numerous loss of human lives and explosions of this kind before. However, in psychological and political sense (war is also politics), there are certain differences between the latest and previous cases concerning the dimensions of the spectacle, the motives and foretaste of the possible course of the war. However hard one tried to observe the consequences of the explosion solely on the basis of figures, even in the context of the large total number of victims in the past year, one cannot but notice the feeling of disturbance among all because of such a large number of victims and mutilated persons. Kosovo has not experienced such a scene of suffering of ethnic Albanian civilians in recent history. Such cases should not become acceptable for the people living in this space. It is true that in a situation such as this one, nobody takes into consideration what ordinary people think, but this does not mean that they do not reflect on the possibility that they themselves might be the next victims.

According to the data supplied by Kosovo Albanian sources, on Saturday five persons were killed and more than 60 wounded in Kosovo Mitrovica. Approximately less than an hour before on that same day, three persons were killed (one by a sniper), and more than 30 were seriously or lightly wounded. Data are still being collected and at this moment it is assumed that there are eight killed and more than one hundred wounded, ten of whom are in a critical state. Representatives of the Verification Mission reported six killed and 58 wounded. In ruthless propagandist war, the two opposed parties, Serb and Albanian, accuse each other for this tragic outcome. Strictly formally, it is impossible to point one's finger at either of them. Nobody has claimed responsibility for this monstrous act. It is difficult to imagine that anyone could raise any political suspicion on the victims and deny the fact that the victims of the planted explosive devices were mostly or almost all members of Albanian ethnic origin.

Since in the propagandist and psychological war, like in war "proper", means are not chosen, we see in this case confusion like in cases of similar disasters in Sarajevo. However, in all the conceivable assumptions, it is unthinkable that anybody could convincingly claim that UCK (Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës- Kosovo Liberation Army) could use such physical sacrifices of a part of its compatriots in order to present this people to the world as the collective victim. This is completely contrary to the so many times repeated declared objectives of the struggle and in general with the essence of the Albanian conception of human life and dignity.

Saturday is the market day in Podujevo and Kosovska Mitrovica. This means that a large number of people gather not only in the marketplaces but also in the streets. In Kosovska Mitrovica, the explosive was planted inside the marketplace, and in Podujevo at the entrance to the marketplace and in a traditionally crowded street. Regardless of whether the explosions were remote-controlled, it is obvious that the perpetrators counted on a large number of civilian victims, that is, with drastic psychological and political effects. Of course, the objectives in this sense could be very diverse concerning significance and priorities. It is notable that the moment chosen for the incident was the departure of the Kosovo Albanian delegation to negotiations in Paris, and the certainty that it was going to sign the drafted agreement from Rambouillet, rejecting any possibility to re-open negotiations about the most significant controversial or compromising issues. Perhaps it is worth reminding that during the ceremony of opening and the first round of talks in Rambouillet, something similar like in Podujevo and Kosovska Mitrovica, but with a smaller number of victims, took place in Pristina and Urosevac, and there were many more minor or major operations of this kind. It should also be mentioned that before the explosions in Podujevo and Kosovska Mitrovica, certain detonations of the similar nature were registered in other places, one in Djakovica. But, since there were no human victims, they remained on the margins or completely disregarded by the media.

The big bloodshed in Podujevo and Kosovska Mitrovica cannot be observed from all its aspects outside the current situation in the field and hasty accumulation of Serb troops in Kosovo. After quite some time, animosities near Klina, Malisevo and in the triangle Klina - Decani - Djakovica have been renewed. These are the central and western parts of Kosovo. Since a few days ago, occasional severe conflicts are registered slong the entire bordering region with Albania, from Decani to Prizren, which was the site of bitter combats in the course of several months last year. Since two or three weeks ago, conflicts have also spread to the bordering region with Macedonia, mostly around Kacanik, the territory which has not been affected by the combats before. For the first time after the proclamation of the ceasefire in October last year, Serb forces started applying again the forms of combat applied last year, such as banishment of civilians from their homes, setting on fire and demolishing villages inhabited by ethnic Albanians, destruction of livestock and animal feed, separation of men from women anbd children. These forms of combat are also applied on the territory between Kosovska Mitrovica and Vucitrn and further to the south towards Pristina where it is possible to hear powerful detonations, like in the region of Klina and Malisevo where animosities on a broad scale have been renewed in the past few days. At the moment, only some cities and a small part, perhaps about one fifth, of the territory, mostly the region of Gnjilane, still remain unaffected by war operations. However, military command is announcing drills in this region. All the army drills in the past three months have developed into minor or major armed conflicts.

The latest animosities have exceptionally strained the already difficult humanitarian situation. Several ten Albanian villages are almost daily the targets of heavy shelling, and houses go up in flames and smoke. A simple calculation indicates that at this moment the number of displaced Kosovo Albanians is almost about one hundred thousand. There are no precise data about how many of them are living outdoors at this winter time, but in view of daily war operations and the observed movements of the population, it cannot be a small number. In the past few weeks the number of kidnapped persons has greatly increased. A few persons, mostly ethnic Albanians disappear every day. They cannot be considered as disappeared any more, because a few days later they are usually found killed by firearms. Last Friday, just near Prizren, six Albanians were kidnapped. Night life has died out last year already, and movement even in daylight is becoming more dangerous every day. Nobody can predict where misfortune may come from. The most visible threat are various sorts of cars, mostly luxurious ones and jeeps moving around without licence plates. Some information from Albanian sources say that such vehicles are used for kidnapping Albanians.

And finally a word or two about so often mentioned propaganda war. In the course of last year a forged leaflet of OSCE was secretly distributed in Kosovo. It was titled: "Let's give peace a chance". According to its size, colour and form, the forged leaflet is almost identical to an OSCE leaflet. However, the content differs exactly in the items which were the most controversial in the negotiations and in the drafted agreement from Rambouillet. In the forged leaflet signed by OSCE, the Albanians are asked to accept disarmament and dissolution of UCK, to give up on the referendum and independence and to accept the solution within Serbia. Because of such content and based on certain linguistic nuances it is assumed that the forged leaflet has Serb background. There were several Albanian reactions to the forged leaflet and in order to avoid confusion, OSCE decided to interrupt distribution of its original leaflet. It is interesting that this episode has coincided with stern measures of Serbian authorities against Albanian media. Two or three dailies and a periodical in Albanian were convicted. Draconian sentences in fact imply shutting down of Kosova Sot, Rilindja and Gazete Shqiptare. Their publishers and editors declare that they will continue working for as long as they can, adding that they do not have the money to pay the fines, and even if they had they would not pay them...

AIM Pristina

Fehim REXHEPI