ALBANIA: SERBIAN POLICE RE-OPEN BORDER BETWEEN KOSOVO AND ALBANIA TO ALLOW ETHNIC ALBANIAN REFUGEES TO LEAVE

Record ID: 565845

  • Title: ALBANIA: SERBIAN POLICE RE-OPEN BORDER BETWEEN KOSOVO AND ALBANIA TO ALLOW ETHNIC ALBANIAN REFUGEES TO LEAVE
  • Date: 26th April 1999
  • Summary: MORINI, ALBANIA (APRIL 26, 1999) (REUTERS) 1. SLV REFUGEES ON SERBIAN SIDE OF BORDER 0.07 2. LV/GV GROUP OF REFUGEES WALKING ACROSS BORDER PAST CONCRETE TANK TRAPS (3 SHOTS) 0.28 3. VARIOUS REFUGEES ARRIVING AND BEING TAKEN INTO ALBANIAN CUSTOMS OFFICE (8 SHOTS) 1.18 4. SV (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) ONE OF TWO REFUGEE SISTERS BELNIJE KABASHI SAYING: "Serbian special police units had been taking younger Albanian men away for military labour or for supplying blood to injured Serbian soldiers." 1.48 5. VARIOUS REFUGEES LEAVING CUSTOMS HOUSE AND BEING HELPED INTO TRUCK (8 SHOTS) 2.49 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th May 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MORINI, ALBANIA
  • Country: Albania
  • Reuters ID: LVADGSSKRI8S7393KEM8CF0WEEN8
  • Story Text: Serbian police at the border crossing from Kosovo to
    Albania have begun to let ethnic Albanian refugees cross the
    border after turning away a small group of refugees on Sunday,
    apparently having closed the crossing.

    Sixty two refugees crossed the border into Albania on
    foot on Monday afternoon (April 26), mainly women and children
    who had left the southern Kosovan town of Prizren earlier in the day.

    Two sisters, 16 year-old Belnije Kebashi and 17 year-old
    Hetie Kebashi, who crossed with the group said they left
    behind their 14-year-old brother who had been too afraid to
    make the journey.

    The sisters said they had been forced to leave their homes
    9 months ago during a summer offensive and had been travelling
    from place to place ever since.

    One of the sisters said Serb forces had been using young
    ethnic Albanian men as blood donors and for hard labour.

    "Serbian special police units had been taking younger
    Albanian men away for military labour or for supplying blood
    to injured Serbian soldiers" Belnije said.

    The refugees were taken to a nearby refugee camp by truck.


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