[Prishtina-E] "They [The Macedonian Forces] Are Burning Us Alive," Residents of Slupcan Call For Help (fwd)

[Mentor Cana]

    "He also said the National Liberation Army forces are in village."
    "We feel safe while they [NLA] are her to protect us. Who knows what
     would happened to us if they were not here," he added.

---
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm

1. Seven Killed In Slupcan And Vaksince While Residents Refuse To Leave
   Homes
2. "They Are Burning Us Alive," Residents of Slupcan Call For Help
3. Villages Of Opaja and Hotel near Kumanova Shelled, Situation Escalates
4. PPD Reports Situation In Macedonia Could Get Out Of Control
5. Candy Store Attacked With Bomb in Skopje
6. Refugee Family From Kumanova Sheltered In Mitrovica


###
1. Seven Killed In Slupcan And Vaksince While Residents Refuse To Leave
   Homes

May 4, 2001
PRISHTINA (KosovLive) - As a result of the shelling by the Macedonian
military and police forces, at least seven persons were killed and many
others wounded in the last two days.
    Macedonian forces shelled the villages of the Likova and Kumanova
municipalities using all artillery in disposition, sources of KosovaLive
informed from the field. According to the same recourses, the most
powerful shelling went on in the villages of Slupcan and Vaksince. More
than half of the houses in Slupcan have been destroyed from the shelling
of Macedonian forces.
    "One helicopter of the Macedonian forces was taken down and a number
of tanks were destroyed, while the National Liberation Army forces (UCK)
were trying to protect the civilians being attacked not only from the
air but also from the positions of the Macedonian forces from a
distance," Hysni Shaqiri, former deputy of the Democratic Party of
Albanians (DPA) who joined the UCK, told KosovaLive Friday.
    Shaqiri said that the Albanian political parties should be aware
that they cannot play with the fate of the people. "I think that what
the NLA requests is a reality that belongs to political parties as well,
but they are not in a position to do this."
    "The fact that the demands are very realistic, political parties
also have a historical responsibility toward the people and the
conditions that the Albanian population is facing at the moment,"
Shaqiri said.
    The president of the Likova municipality, Hysamedin Halili, also
confirmed for KosovaLive, about the seven killed and several wounded.
    "It is a war. People are hiding inside their basements; they are
still in the village not wanting to leave their houses. The Macedonian
government has given an ultimatum to leave the village until 4 p.m., but
nobody has left the village," Halili said.
    While the shelling continues even after 4:30 p.m., the city of
Kumanova awaits the curfew that begins from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. (hm)


###
2. "They Are Burning Us Alive," Residents of Slupcan Call For Help

May 4, 2001
PRISHTINA (KosovaLive) - The number of victims comes to at least five
from the shelling of villages near Kumanova, Albanian sources from the
conflict zone reported.
    Besides the two killed in last night's shelling in Slupcan, Albanian
sources said three residents of Vaksince lost their lives during
Thursday's shelling. The same resources reported that a helicopter of
the Macedonian forces helicopter was taken down at around 11 a.m. and
two tanks were put on fire. One NLA soldier is also reported to have
been wounded.
    Contacted through a mobile phone, 34-year old Iljaz from the village
of Slupcan told KosovaLive that his seven-member family is hiding in the
basement of their house together with 33 other resident of the village.
    "We are all gathered in the basement and nobody dares to go out. We
are afraid that they will burn as alive. The Macedonians don't care
where they shell, and they are also shoot at civilians," Iljazi said,
explaining that the bombing had continued throughout last night and
today until 2 p.m. Two elderly people of the village were killed and two
children wounded.
    "We are all here. All five thousand residents of the village do not
intend to leave the village, even though we do not have electricity or
any contact with the outside world as our phones are down," Iljazi said.
    He also said the National Liberation Army forces are in village.
    "We feel safe while they are her to protect us. Who knows what would
happened to us if they were not here," he added.
    Iljazi also said that even though the villagers have little food
reserves, food is not a problem. "We do not even think about eating
since yesterday," he said. (al)

###
3. Villages Of Opaja and Hotel near Kumanova Shelled, Situation Escalates

May 4, 2001
SKOPJE/KUMANOVA (KosovaLive) - Macedonian forces are shelling two more
Albanian villages in the Kumanovo area, northeast of Skopje Friday.
Albanian sources from the area reported that shelling was taking place
in the villages of Opaja and Hotel, describing the situation as tense
and escalating.
    The shelling started Friday 8 a.m., when Albanian journalists saw
Macedonian special units called "Wolfs" and "Scorpions" firing on the
villages from positions at Kumanova's civil airport.
    Two elderly Albanian males, Ramiz Demiri (63) and Remzi Osmani (54),
were killed and three others were wounded, including a nine-year old
girl, in the Macedonian offensive Thursday afternoon in the village of
Slupcane. Albanian sources in the area said tens of Albanian homes were
destroyed in Slupcane and Vaksince, which were the target of the
offensive of the Macedonian forces.
    However, local leaders from the area said the Albanian inhabitants
of the villages have preferred to take refugee in their basements rather
than leave their villages in response to the government ultimatum.
    "Not one of the residents has moved, they are all in their
basements," Husamedin Hasani, president of the Likova municipality,
said. "The situation is very serious. We appeal to the international
factor to intervene in solving the crises," he added.
    Meanwhile, the forces of the National Liberation Army (NLA) said
that a Macedonian helicopter was taken down during its flight over
Slupcan. An NLA commander said that the NLA is ready to face possible
ground offensives.

###
4. PPD Reports Situation In Macedonia Could Get Out Of Control

May 4, 2001
TETOVA (KosovaLive) - The security situation in Macedonia is quite
dramatic and could escalate out of control at any moment, the president
of Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP), Imer Imeri, said Friday in
Tetova. He criticized the Macedonian government, but at the same time
called upon both sides of the conflict to give up their weapons and sit
around a negotiation table and begin dialogue in finding a solution to
the crises.
    "The incidents in the villages near Kumanova clearly show that the
Macedonian government is not willing to solve the crisis but, on the
contrary, is escalating it," Imeri said. According to Imeri, the
ultimatum given by the Macedonian Prime Minister to the Albanian
population in the conflict zone that they should leave their houses
before the offensive begins, is only a "bluff" of the government. "The
Macedonian army began the shelling much earlier than the ultimatum
expired. In fact, the government deceived the inhabitants," Imeri told
journalists. According to him, the PPD is concerned about the condition
of the population in the villages of the conflict at this moment. Imeri
said that the PPD "fears that such operations could lead to a
humanitarian disaster and cause retaliation of wide dimensions."
    Imeri once again emphasized that the solution of current political
problems with weapons is not preferable and that PPD requesting that
both sides give up their weapons and in order to create an atmosphere of
serious and effective talks. (si)

###
5. Candy Store Attacked With Bomb in Skopje

May 4, 2001
SKOPJE (KosovaLive) - A bomb was thrown at the Palma candy store in
Skopje after 1 p.m. Friday, owned by a Muslim Slav.
    Sources from Macedonia's Ministry of Internal Affairs in Skopje said
the candy store was attacked with a bomb, and there were no victims in
the incident. However, there was considerable material damage.
    The attack in Palma happened on the second night of the firearm
attacks against Albanians and burning of Albanian businesses, in which
one person from Kosova lost his life. (ar)


###
6. Refugee Family From Kumanova Sheltered In Mitrovica

May 4, 2001
MITROVICA (KosovaLive) - After the latest turbulences in the former
Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, the first refugee family from Kumanova
arrived Thursday night in Shipol near Mitrovica.
    The eight-member family arrived at their relatives after many
difficulties in reaching the Hani i Elezit border point. Meanwhile, 14
other members of the family who are left in Kumanova are expected to
arrive Friday. (lb)