[ALBSA-Info] Ethnic Albanians Seek Autonomy

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Ethnic Albanians Seek Autonomy

By DRAGAN ILIC

  
PRESEVO, Yugoslavia (AP) - Ethnic Albanian leaders demanded autonomy Saturday 
for a troubled area in southern Yugoslavia, comprehensively outlining their 
proposals for peace talks with the government for the first time. 

Riza Halimi, the political leader of the 60,000-strong ethnic Albanian 
community in the Presevo Valley, also demanded foreign mediation in any talks 
aimed at ending violence between independence-minded guerrillas and Serb 
security forces. 

Much of the fighting has taken place in a three-mile-wide zone established by 
international forces as a buffer between the southern province of Kosovo and 
the rest of Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic. Halimi insisted the 
people of the predominantly ethnic Albanian area be given a chance to decide 
their own future. 

``We are ready to start talks immediately,'' if the government accepts the 
terms, he told reporters. 

The troubled region should have its own ``legal system with state bodies, 
police and judiciary,'' Halimi said. He also outlined a plan for education. 

Halimi said the peace talks must include local guerrillas fighting for 
independence and must take place outside the country. The Serb government has 
said it would negotiate only with civilian leaders, and the talks should be 
held in Yugoslavia. No talks have been scheduled yet. 

Yugoslav officials offered a peace proposal last month that called for 
demilitarization and confidence-building measures, but ruled out autonomy for 
the region, which includes the towns of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac. 

Halimi also offered a cease-fire and a demilitarization plan for the area. 
Militants swept through the region in November, killing four police officers 
and taking over key control points. 

The buffer zone was established as part of a 1999 peace deal that ended the 
78-day war in Kosovo, which was launched to force former Yugoslav President 
Slobodan Milosevic to stop his crackdown on ethnic Albanians. 

NATO has said it would consider a ``phased and conditioned'' reduction of the 
zone between Kosovo and Serbia, while urging the two sides to negotiate. 

Serb Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic told The Associated Press that despite the 
apparently differing views, a cease-fire was expected next week, as well as a 
``narrowing of the buffer zone ... with the help of our real partners, from 
NATO.''