YUGOSLAVIA: THOUSANDS OF KOSOVO ALBANIANS BLOCK ROADS LEADING INTO ORAHOVAC IN ORDER TO PREVENT RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS FROM TAKING UP THEIR POSITIONS

Record ID: 565798

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: THOUSANDS OF KOSOVO ALBANIANS BLOCK ROADS LEADING INTO ORAHOVAC IN ORDER TO PREVENT RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPING TROOPS FROM TAKING UP THEIR POSITIONS
  • Date: 23rd August 1999
  • Summary: ORAHOVAC, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 23, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS/LV BLOCKADED ROAD BETWEEN ORAHOVAC AND MALISEVO (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. VARIOUS OF BLOCKADE WITH VEHICLES ON THE ROAD BETWEEN ORAHOVAC AND XERXE/ CARS AND TRACTORS ON THE ROAD (2 SHOTS) 0.19 3. MV GERMAN KFOR SOLDIERS 0.22 4. WS GERMAN KFOR SOLDIERS ON THE ROAD AND PAN TO SIGN WHICH READS (ENGLISH) "CRIMINAL SOLDERS OUT OF KOSOVA" 0.32 5. CU-PAN OF SIGN 0.42 6. PAN GERMAN HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD 0.50 7. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS AND PLACARDS DEMANDING NATO, NOT RUSSIAN, PEACEKEEPERS/ ALBANIAN FLAG (3 SHOTS) 1.10 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(Albanian) XHEMAJL HAJRULLAGA, ONE OF THE ORGANISERS OF THE PROTEST, SAYING: "We were here since nine o'clock last night. We will stay here for as long as is needed -- until we achieve our goal. 1.23 9. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN CONVOY ARRIVING AT BLOCKADE (3 SHOTS) 1.37 10. SCU ALBANIAN WOMAN INSULTING RUSSIAN SOLDIERS 1.51 11. GV/LV BLOCKADED ORAHOVAC-MALISEVO ROAD (2 SHOTS) 1.59 12. MV/SLV GERMAN KFOR SOLDIERS ON GUARD (2 SHOTS) 2.10 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) TONY VAN LOON, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL IN THE DUTCH ARMY SAYING: "There is of course a lot of tension. They are very anxious not to have the Russians here. But if you are talking about tension between the Serbs and the Albanians, I do not think so. This morning we had indications that some of the Serbs very much agree with the Albanians demonstrating against the arrival of the Russians." 2.28 14. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN CHECKPOINT SEVEN KILOMETRES FROM THE BLOCKADE (7 SHOTS) 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th September 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ORAHOVAC, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA9IQ44W7M1AOBS60JRKNDVL7H6
  • Story Text: Thousands of Orahovac residents have blocked the
    roads leading into their southwestern Kosovo town to prevent
    Russian peacekeepers from taking up position there.

    Negotiations between the Russians, and the Serb and Albanian
    communities are expected to begin on Tuesday.

    Russian peacekeeping troops retreated to ponder their
    next move on Monday (August 23) after Kosovo Albanians set up
    a giant roadblock to stop them entering the town of Orahovac.

    An advance party of Russians turned back after
    encountering the line of stationary cars, trucks and tractors
    stretching about a kilometre along a winding hillside road
    near the town, 40 km (25 miles) from the provincial capital
    Pristina.

    The protesters told the Russians they were not welcome
    because mercenaries from their country had fought alongside
    Serbs and taken part in atrocities committed against ethnic
    Albanians in the area.

    The Albanians also voiced fears that Russians would let
    suspected war criminals in the Orahovac's Serb enclave slip
    away to safety.German and Dutch forces arrested three war
    crimes suspects in the town on Friday.

    "We were here since nine o'clock last night.We will stay
    here for as long as is needed -- until we achieve our goal,"
    protest organiser Xhemajl Hajrullaga said.

    Orahovac, a town of about 30,000 people inside Kosovo's
    German sector, has been patrolled mainly by Dutch troops since
    peacekeepers moved into the Serbian province in mid-June.But
    the Dutch were ordered on Friday to make way for the Russians.

    Dutch Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Van Loon said Kosovo
    Albanians are quite serious about their opposition to the
    Russian troops.He indicated that some Serbs were in
    agreement.

    "They (Kosovo Albanians) are very anxious not to have the
    Russians here.But if you are talking about tension between
    the Serbs and the Albanians, I do not think so.This morning
    we had indications that some of the Serbs very much agree with
    the Albanians demonstrating against the arrival of the
    Russians," Van Loon said.

    Russians face general hostility across Kosovo from ethnic
    Albanians, who distrust Russia's traditionally close ties with
    Serbia and recall that Moscow opposed the NATO bombing of
    Yugoslavia which drove out Serb forces.


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