- Title: YUGOSLAVIA: NATO PEACEKEEPERS FIRE TEAR GAS AT ETHNIC ALBANIAN DEMONSTRATORS.
- Date: 5th February 2000
- Summary: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (FEBRUARY 5, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. GV: GROUPS OF ALBANIANS ON BRIDGE 0.08 2. CU/GV: TEAR GAS CANISTERS IN RIVER/ PROTESTOR KICKS TEAR GAS CANNISTER (2 SHOTS) 0.21 3. LV/GV: LINE OF FRENCH KFOR SOLDIERS IN RIOT GEAR STAND OPPOSITE PROTESTERS (2 SHOTS) 0.32 4. GV: KPC (KOSOVO PROTECTION FORCE) MEMBERS ARRIVE TO
- Embargoed: 20th February 2000 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
- City:
- Country: Yugoslavia
- Reuters ID: LVA2RDGJJRRITGPBQII6MAYB1MFF
- Story Text: NATO-led peacekeepers fired tear gas for a second
straight day in Kosovo to disperse ethnic Albanians angry at
the recent violent deaths of members of their community.
Peacekeeping soldiers wearing riot shields charged at
the crowd in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica on
Saturday (February 5), trying to force back protesters who
were throwing stones and bottles.
The situation calmed after the arrival of the Kosovo
Protection Corps, a force formed to provide a new role for
former ethnic Albanian guerrillas who fought against Serb
rule.
"I'm asking you, please, to go because there is no chance
to pass through here," regional KPC commander Rahman Rama told
members of the crowd, gesturing towards the bridge behind.
"You are doing this side and the Albanians who live on the
other side no good," he said.
The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force had reported calm
overnight in Mitrovica, which was the scene of a recent
eruption of violence between ethnic Serbs and Albanians.
KFOR said on Saturday that a curfew imposed from Friday
night after deadly clashes the previous evening had been
generally effective and the night had passed off without major
incidents.
The likely death toll from the violence rose to seven on
Saturday when police found the body of an elderly ethnic
Albanian woman in her apartment, the United Nations said.
It appeared she had been shot dead on Thursday evening.
More than 20 people were wounded in the clashes, which
took place mainly in the Serb-dominated northern part of the
city.Five of the dead were Kosovo Albanians including
13-year-old Nderim Ajeti and two were ethnic Turks,
international authorities said.
Albanian leaders in the city have warned of the danger
that northern Mitrovica could be "ethnically cleansed" of
Albanians as a result of the violence.
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