The New York Times

November 28, 2000

Albanians, Serbs Agree Ceasefire, KFOR Says

By REUTERS

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (Reuters) - Ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Serbian authorities have agreed to suspend fighting in the Kosovo-Serbia boundary region indefinitely, the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo said on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the peacekeepers said KFOR encouraged both sides to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis, which claimed the lives of four Serb policemen last week in an upsurge of the fighting that has plagued the region this year.

In Belgrade, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic was asked at a news conference whether the government had talked with the guerrillas and agreed a cease-fire with them. ``We have not talked with terrorists nor did we have any contacts with them,'' he replied.

But he said he had met both local Serb and Albanian community leaders during a visit to the tense region in southern Serbia on Monday and expressed optimism that the situation could be resolved peacefully.

The violence has been seen as a test for Yugoslavia's new democratic leadership under President Vojislav Kostunica, who visited a town close to the boundary on Monday evening to show solidarity with anxious local residents.

The police and army have strengthened their presence in the past few days close to a buffer zone next to the boundary, which only local police are allowed to enter under the terms of a deal between NATO and Belgrade last year.

KFOR ``FACILITATED'' CEASEFIRE

KFOR said it had ``facilitated'' the cease-fire with the so-called Presevo Medvedja and Bujanovac Liberation Army (known by their Albanian initials UCPMB) and representatives of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).

``The cease-fire between the FRY and the UCPMB, facilitated by KFOR, has been extended indefinitely,'' KFOR spokesman Flight Lieutenant Mark Whitty said.

``KFOR encourages both parties to continue the progress they have made to achieve a peaceful solution to the complex situation in the Presevo Valley,'' he said, using a common name for the Serbian side of the boundary region.

The rebels said on Monday they would extend a weekend cease-fire until Friday and Serbian forces had said they would not undertake any action before then.

A NATO adviser involved in discussions to resolve the crisis said he expected the rebels to declare they want peace.

``They support Albanian leaders in the municipalities of the Presevo Valley discussing with Belgrade authorities to solve these problems peacefully and politically,'' he said.

Covic said he was pleasantly surprised by his talks on Monday with local Serb and Albanian officials, saying they had no intention of getting into any kind of ``war adventures.''

``This is a solid base to resolve the entire problem in a peaceful and democratic way,'' he said. ``We have established a dialogue and it is sure that we can resolve the problem in a peaceful way.''

The rebels say they have been protecting ethnic Albanians in the area from abuses and intimidation by Serb police. Giving a different picture, Covic said local Albanians had told him they had ``enormous problems with Albanian terrorist groups.''

Belgrade maintains that the guerrillas are separatists intent on uniting the Presevo Valley area with ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo. Its stance appears to be winning increasing international sympathy now Kostunica is in power