- Title: YUGOSLAVIA: ETHNIC ALBANIANS VISIT MOSLEM CEMETARY ESCORTED BY NATO TROOPS
- Date: 8th January 2000
- Summary: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (JANUARY 8, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. GV: MOSQUE IN MITROVICA 0.10 2. ETHNIC ALBANIANS OUTSIDE MOSQUE/PRAYING AT THE MOSQUE (4 SHOTS) 0.29 3. VARIOUS: ORGANISED CONVOY OF UNHCR BUSES UNDER THE PROTECTION OF FRENCH KFOR ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS AND GENDARMERIE/ ETHNIC ALBANIANS CARRYING FLOWERS GETTING ON THE UNHCR BUSES (5 SHOTS) 0.58 4. LV: CONVOY LEAVING TO GO TO THE GRAVEYARD ON THE SERB SIDE OF THE DIVIDED TOWN/GETTING OFF BUS/WALKING TO GRAVEYARD (4 SHOTS) 1.28 5. SV: PEOPLE SAYING PRAYERS AT GRAVEYARD (2 SHOTS) 1.40 6. SV: HAKIF MEHMETI TRYING TO GET TO HIS HOUSE, BUT FRENCH KFOR TELLING HIM HE CAN'T GO/ MEHMETI SWEARING (3 SHOTS) 2.04 7. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) HAKIF MEHMETI (19) SAYING: I don't know why today, on the day of Bajram (end of Ramadan) I couldn't go home. KFOR could have resolved this problem a long time ago but they are doing wrong things. A KFOR soldier pushed me and said you can't go. Why can't I go. It's my home." 2.36 8. LV: KFOR SOLDIERS STANDING AT CEMETERY 2.41 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd January 2000 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
- City:
- Country: Yugoslavia
- Reuters ID: LVA2XFKWITL3U8WZAPTRBHE81X3I
- Story Text: Ethnic Albanians, escorted by NATO troops in Kosovo,
have been able to visit a Moslem cemetery in the divided town
of Mitrovica.
The trip was especially organised for the Albanians to
coinicde with celebrations marking the end of the Moslem holy
month of Ramadan.
French KFOR armoured personnel carriers on Saturday
(January 8) escorted ethnic Albanians through the Serb area of
the divided town of Mitrovica in Kosovo so they could visit
the Moslem cemetery containing the graves of their dead
relatives.
After paying his respects to his dead relatives at the
graveyard, 19-year-old Hakif Mehmeti wanted to visit his
house, which is in the Serb side of the town.He hadn't seen
his house since before the NATO bombing campaign.But French
KFOR personnel wouldn't let him visit it.
"I don't know why today, on the day of Bajram (end of
Ramadan) I couldn't go home.KFOR could have resolved this
problem a long time ago but they are doing wrong things.A
KFOR soldier pushed me and said you can't go.Why can't I go?
It's my home," he said.
Ethnic tensions remain high in Mitrovica and other parts
of Kosovo where local Serbs have decided to stay.
Angry at years of Serb repression, Albanians have killed
and kidnapped hundreds of Serbs or burned their homes,
although international officials stress that the number of
incidents has declined substantially over the past few months.
Yugoslav local authorities say they are sheltering more
than 200,000 Serbs and members of other minorities from
Kosovo.
The Serbs have boycotted the main forum for dialogue with
the U.N.and Albanian leaders for months in protest at the
attacks on members of their community and because
international officials have not met several of their
political demands.
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