YUGOSLAVIA: OSCE TECHNICIANS ARRIVE IN KOSOVO TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE SMALL ARMY OF 'VERIFIERS'

Record ID: 646200

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: OSCE TECHNICIANS ARRIVE IN KOSOVO TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE SMALL ARMY OF 'VERIFIERS'
  • Date: 17th October 1998
  • Summary: PRISTINA, YUGOSLAVIA (OCTOBER 17 + 18, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. OSCE (ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND SV COOPERATION IN EUROPE) VERIFIERS AT RECEPTION OF GRAND HOTEL, PRISTINA 0.06 2. SCU OSCE ARMBANDS 0.13 3. SV VARIOUS OF LUGGAGE AND PEOPLE CHECKING IN 0.32 4. SCU PETER ERBAN, CHIEF OF STAFF AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR OSCE IN BOSNIA, SAYING, "WE COME FROM THE OSCE MISSION FOR BOSNIA. WE ARE A SMALL TEAM OF TECHNICIANS THAT ARE ARRIVING TO PREPARE FOR THE MAIN TEAM TO ARRIVE TOMORROW AT IPM. THE MAIN TEAM WILL ARRIVE FROM VIENNA, THEY HAVE BEEN IN BELGRADE TODAY FOR NEGOTIATIONS AND THEY WILL BE THE ONES THAT WILL BE WORKING WITH THE ACTUAL MANDATE AND THE SET UP. OUR TASK TODAY IS TO SEE THAT AN OFFICE IS SET UP. THEY WILL BE HERE TOMORROW ARRIVING BY CAR." (ENGLISH) 1.01 5. GV EXTERIOR HOTEL 1.07 6. SV OSCE VEHICLE 1.12 7. SV OSCE OFFICE IN HOTEL 1.17 8. SV STICKING SIGN ON WALL 1.22 9. SV SETTING UP COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS 1.32 10. SMV EQUIPMENT INSTALLED AND SET UP. 1.40 KOMARANE, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (OCTOBER 17) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 11. GV NIGHT SKY WITH TRACER BULLETS AND GUNFIRE 1.52 12. SLV SERB SOLDIER ENTERING CHECKPOINT AND ON LOOKOUT 1.56 13. SV 'S SOLDIERS FIRING AND LOOKING OUT FROM SANDBAG DEFENCES 2.56 14. SV APC ON ROAD 3.27 15. SV SILHOUETTE OF SOLDIER WITH GUN, LOOKING OUT OF WINDOW 3.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st November 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRISTINA AND KOMORANE, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YN37STXOYBG130NBYSG89O2X
  • Story Text: An advance team of
    OSCE technicians has arrived in Kosovo to prepare the way for the first of a
    small army of 2,000 'verifiers'.The Serb Army has maintained that the KLA are
    ignoring their ceasefire, with further deaths and injuries during night raids on
    police checkpoints.

    The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) verifiers have
    been arriving on Sunday, (0ctober 18) to evaluate whether Serbian police and
    Yugoslav army units are withdrawing from Kosovo as required by UN Security
    Council Resolution 1199.

    NATO was about to launch air strikes against Serbia last week because of
    repression in Kosovo when a deal was struck between U.S.special envoy Richard
    Holbrooke and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

    The deal called for NATO air surveillance of security force withdrawals and
    ground assessments by 2,000 OSCE 'verifiers'.

    Peter Erben, OSCE chief of mission, arrived in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, along
    with his chiefs of logistics, security and communications from Bosnia as well
    as a building engineer and translators fluent in Serbian and Albanian.

    He said the first verifiers, who are already in Belgrade, were expected in
    Pristina on Sunday.

    Erben and his team checked into Pristina's Grand Hotel on Saturday evening and
    immediately began outfitting an office there which they said would be open on
    Sunday.

    However the recent ceasefire between the KLA and Serb army seems to be
    foundering as three Serbian policemen were killed and two others were wounded on
    Saturday in an incident about 30 km (20 miles) west of Pristina, Serbian sources
    said.

    Fighting between the security forces and KLA units has increased in recent days
    despite a pledge by the KLA that it would engage in self-restraint so long as
    the government side did as well.

    Both sides say they fire only when fired upon.

    Any general resumption of hostilities would complicate the prospects for peace
    over the winter and add significantly to the risks facing the unarmed OSCE
    'verifiers' as they begin to deploy in Kosovo on Sunday.


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