Kosova Information Center, Prishtina, August, 26, 1993

PRESIDENT RUGOVA OF KOSOVA MEETS JEAN PIERRE MASSET

President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova met today in Prishtina with Ambassador Jean Pierre Masset, who is now chair of the Special Group on Kosova within the Geneva Conference on former Yugoslavia, accompagnied by Sancho Coutinho. Participating the meeting were also senior LDK officials: Dr. Fehmi Agani, Dr. Shaqir Shaqiri, and Ms. Edita Tahiri.

President Rugova said that the situation in Kosova is very grave and detriorating day by day amid mounting Serbian repression and violence.

President of the Republic of Kosova reiterated the position on the future status of Kosova, based on political will of the people of Kosova, who have opted for an independent state. Yet, Dr. Rugova added, before embarking on talks on the status of Kosova, life in areas such as education, health-care, and social sphere should ve emproved.

President Rugova restated the need for an urgent placing Kosova under international protectorate, a step which, as he said, would facilitate negotiations on the comprehensive solution to the Kosova issue.

Ambassador Masset said that Kosova was not forgotten, but so far the Bosnian issue had priority. He added that the Special Group on Kosova within the Geneva Conference would continue functioning.

A 16-YEAR OLD ALBANIAN SHOT DEAD BY THE SERBIAN POLICE

The Serbian police shot dead on Wednesday an Albanian sixteen-year old boy, Sefer Cukovci, from the Cernille village of Ferizaj.

Sources from Ferizaj said that the Serbian police besieged at 5 o'clock in the morning the house of Fatmir Bislim Cukovci (28), reportedly looking for Fatmir and his brother, Kadri (26). As the police did not find the sought-for-persons home, they searched the household and maltreated their mother and other family members.

Before retreating, the Serbian policemen involved in the raid told the mother of Fatmir and Kadri that she had to hand over her sons to the Serbian police station at the Serb Babush village by noon; or otherwise the entire family would be arrested.

Enver Cukovci, the uncle of Fatmir and Kadri, told LDK branch activists in Ferizaj that the police had in fact "retreated" only to hide in the nearby corn fields and bushes. When the police noticed that the Cukovci brothers returned, they besieged their home for the second time around 9:30 hrs. Fatmir, Kadri, and the youngest of the brothers, Sefer, tried to run away in fear of police. The Serbian police shott at them, killing Sefer (16) on the spot.

The home of the Cukovci brothers was held under the siege of the Serbian police for several more hours, and took the body of the late Sefer Cukovci with them.

The Prishtina-based Council for the defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) issued today (TThursday) a statement condemning the killing of Sefer Cukovci by the Serbian police. "This is the tenth victim of the Serbian nationalist and chauvinist terror against the Albanians in Kosova this year", the CDHRF said, calling on the international community to "undertake measures for putting the terror against the (Kosova) Albanians to an end".

ALBANIAN RESIDENTS OF A VILLAGE SUBJECT TO A LARGE-SCALE REPRESSION

Heavy Serbian police forces besieged early today (Thursday, 4 0'clock in the morning) the Caber village, near Zubin Potok (north of Kosova). Dozens of Albanian residents of the village were reported brutally maltreated, and several people detained.

Reports from Mitrovica speak off heavy Serbian forces who arrived in the Caber village with 2 minibuses, one truck, 14 armoured personnel carriers, 4 armoured vehicles, and four othe cars.

Reports say 130 Albanian household were raided by the Serbian police under the pretext of arms searches. 53 persons were reported physically maltreated, among whom Zaim Deliu, Kadri Hasani, Kamber Uka, Enver Uka, Selman Nimani, Ymer Ymeri, Sefer Veliu and Miran Hasani, were reported to have suffered heavy body injuries inflicted by the Serbian police. Light injuries were inflicted upon 32 Albanians from the village.

The police arrested Sherif Rama, Musa Rama, Sadri Hasani, Idriz Hasani and Shemsedin Ymeri from the Caber village, and Naser Kajtazi from the Kllodernica village of Skenderaj/Serbica, who happened to be a guest in one of the families of the village.

During the raid, the Serbian police caused immense damage in the household furniture.

The Serbian police threatened that the village Albanian population had to abandon their homes and go to Albania within three months, or else, the Serbian police would expel them through the use of force.

The Caber village is situated in the northern part of Kosova, bordering with Serbia, and has recently been the target of Serbian police repressive practices, aimed at ethnically cleansing the territory from local Albanian population.

Today's Serbian police expedition against the Albanian residents of the Caber village is the third in row.