YUGOSLAVIA: UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCES BOLD PLAN TO END ETHNIC DIVISIONS IN KOSOVO CITY OF MITROVICA

Record ID: 336872

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCES BOLD PLAN TO END ETHNIC DIVISIONS IN KOSOVO CITY OF MITROVICA
  • Date: 23rd February 2000
  • Summary: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (FEBRUARY 23, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: RIVER IBAR WHICH DIVIDES ETHNIC ALBANIANS AND SERBS IN MITROVICA 0.04 2. LV: UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE VEHICLE BUILDING BRIDGE 0.08 3. SV'S: KFOR SOLDIER WITH EQUIPMENT TO BUILD BRIDGE(2 SHOTS) 0.16 PRISTINA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (FEBRUARY 23, 2000) (
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRISTINA AND MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA5ERT1PVVJMO6WZ14ZS4ZHF7AW
  • Story Text: The United Nations has announced a bold plan to end
    ethnic divisions in the Kosovo city of Mitrovica and return
    Albanian families to their homes in Serb dominated north of
    the city.

    Peacekeeping troops have mounted their biggest effort yet
    to strip the town of weapons in an effort to restore peace and
    achieve the repatriation.

    French KFOR soldiers on Wednesday (February 23)
    started building a third pedetrian bridge over Mitrovica's
    Ibar river which divides ehtnic Albanians to the south and
    Serbs to the north.

    The United Nations wants to allow easier and safer access
    to Albanians wanting to cross over the river.They also plan
    to get Albanian families living south of the Ibar river back
    to their homes on the Serb-dominated northern bank by creating
    a secure zone for them.

    The United Nations Mission for Kosovo, UNIMIK, made the
    announcement in Pristina.

    "IAC propose the transformation of Mitrovica into what
    they are calling a united city, that is without lines of
    division and in which the rights and security of all national
    communities are respected.As part of this plan residents
    expelled from both sides of the city should be returned home.

    Freedom of movement in both directions would be facilitated
    furthern expulsions would be prevented and the property of
    those who have been displaced will be protected, " Susand
    Manuel said.

    One Albanian family sharing temporary accomodation with
    several other families say they want KFOR to take them back to
    their homes in the northern sector.

    In an old factory in southern Mitrovica 15 Albanian
    families that fled the northern side have been housed in
    makeshift dwellings by a non-governmental organization.

    Hysnije Kacaniku, a mother of five, lives here with her
    husband and children.She says they fled after constant
    physical threats by Serb residents and KFOR was not there to
    help.Her son Arsim says they want KFOR to take them back.

    The estimated 75 Albanian families, as many as 1,500
    people, fled the three apartment blocks on the Ibar River in
    early February after Serb paramilitaries and thugs attacked
    Albanian homes in the north, killing up to nine people.

    The secure zone would stretch from the market on the
    southern side all the way to the north, past a square at the
    main bridge over the Ibar River which Serbs have blockaded to
    stop Albanians coming to the north.

    The U.N.secure area would include apartment blocks and
    other neighbourhoods just north and south of the river,
    including the area around the U.N.headquarters in the south,
    and two apartment blocks in the south formerly occupied by
    Serbs.

    The UN hope Albanians will be able to return to their
    northernbound homes as early as next week.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register