UNMIK-KFOR-OSCE Press Briefing: 21 August 2000

UNMIK Spokeswoman, Susan Manuel
KFOR Spokesperson, Scott Slaten
OSCE Spokesperson, Roland Bless

UNMIK Spokeswoman, Susan Manuel

CIVPOL

UNMIK Police in Northern Mitrovica reported that on Saturday a Kosovo Serbian woman came to the UNMIK police station for assistance in notifying relatives about her husband’s death. At the station she suffered a heart attack. She was then revived from unconsciousness by an Egyptian UNMIK police officer along with his Kosovo Bosnian and Kosovo Albanian interpreters. She was brought back to life and is now recovering in the Mitrovica Hospital.

Following the violent episode of Friday, the weekend in Kosovo was relatively calm, although Major Slaten has some incidents to report. There is a forest fire apparently raging near Kafa Prusit, which caused the border to be closed temporarily.

Today at noon in the Pristina District Court, we expect a verdict in the case of the Care International and local employees who have been charged with robbery of the Adra office in Ferisaj on the 7th of April. The defendants are the international employee Peter Muriuki and the Kosovo employees Arsim and Arben Bajrami. The international judge Marti Johannes Arsim is presiding. The media can go to the District court n Pristina.

Power update

Unfortunately, due to problems we are experiencing importing power from Bulgaria, the electricity cuts are back – three hours on, three hours off – at least for today.

Regulations

SRSG Bernard Kouchner is outside Kosovo for the week. Before leaving he signed an administrative direction on regulating sports organizations. Under this directive, it is mandatory that at least 30 percent of the members of sports federations or associations be women, and 10 percent from minority communities. At least one woman and one minority representative should sit on the organization's board. This directive is an effort to encourage equality and tolerance as well as to establishing a framework by which sports organizations should operate.

Media Event

There is a media event from the Kosovo Protection Corps: KPC members will perform a demonstration in basic fire fighting at the KPC Training Centre in Gllojan, on 24 August. You will get information on the IOM/KPC training program by KPC and IOM officials.
If you are interested in attending, please meet at 7:30 a.m. at the KPC headquarters, and please confirm your interest with Tamara Osorio at IOM 549 022, or Shemsi Syla, KPC, 543 555. 

Scott Slaten, KFOR Spokesperson

Local Man and KFOR Troops Assaulted

Last night around 8 p.m. in the town of Urosevac / Ferizaj, a KFOR patrol from the 755th Military Police company was approached by a Kosovar Albanian man who informed them he had been assaulted by two Kosovar Albanian men in a parking lot nearby.
The KFOR Military Police proceeded to the parking lot to investigate the incident. After the troops arrived at the scene, the Kosovar Albanian men started to flee the parking lot on foot. As they were running from the Military Police, one of the suspects took out a 9mm pistol and fired back at the KFOR soldiers. The shots failed to hit any of the soldiers who continued their pursuit of the suspects.
The Military Police caught the man who had fired the shots and subdued him. The other man was able to escape the scene. The suspect was processed and taken to the UNMIK Police Station in Urosevac / Ferizaj for arrest. He was then transported to the Camp Bondsteel Military Detention Facility after being charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The investigation is still ongoing.

Explosion: Building Fire

A large explosion was heard yesterday at 1:30 p.m. behind the OSCE headquarters building in Prishtina / Pristina. KFOR MNB Centre patrols from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and UNMIK Police quickly responded to the scene.
After arriving, they discovered a building behind the OSCE headquarters was burning. KFOR soldiers immediately cordoned off the area and civilian fire fighting crews extinguished the blaze within twenty minutes. A preliminary investigation stated that an exploding gas cylinder likely started the fire.

Grenade Damages House

Yesterday evening, a hand grenade exploded and damaged a Kosovar Roma home in Shtime / Stimlje. KFOR MNB Centre headquarters dispatched two KFOR Finnish Battalion patrols to the scene to investigate.
At the time of the blast there were 16 people in the home. The explosion shattered windows of the home but no injuries were reported as a result of the blast. The investigation is ongoing.

Grenade Attack

In an other grenade attack in MNB South Yesterday evening, a hand grenade was thrown into the backyard of a private home in the city of Prizren. Fortunately, the grenade failed to explode. A KFOR patrol and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team was dispatched to the home. EOD safely disposed of the grenade. UNMIK Police are still investigating the attack and searching for suspects.

Media Opportunity

MNB East

At 02:00 p.m., August 23, 2000, media will have the opportunity to attend a Combined Arms live fire exercise featuring helicopter gunships, armored personnel carriers, indirect artillery fire and direct fire weaponry.
The Immediate Ready Force (IRF), currently augmenting the Multi-National Brigade (East), will utilize all elements of their force, including military police, scout reconnaissance and infantry teams to demonstrate their force projection capabilities.
Those wishing to attend need to contact Task Force Falcon PAO at Camp Bondsteel or Staff Sgt. McGuire at the KFOR Press Information Center.

Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE

At the Tuesday’s background briefing at 10.00, there will be two main topics. First, the challenges, editions and confirmation period of the registration have just started today. Secondly, Simon Hazelock will give an overview over the public information campaign for elections. Apart from that, I will try to make myself available to you as much as possible and therefore, I gladly accept the invitation to participate in the press briefings also on Mondays and Wednesdays, but just for elections questions.

Questions

Q:  There was a concert on Sunday in Pristina. There was neither KFOR nor UNMIK presence inside the stadium. Who secured the concert bearing in mind that more than 30,000 people were inside?

SM: The concert was observed by UNMIK police and by KFOR from outside the stadium. I can confirm that we did have civilian police officers inside the stadium.

Q: But you were not formally in charge of the security?

SM: No, we were not.

Q: Who was in charge, then?

SM: I will have to make that enquiry and get back to you

SS: I am not sure about whom he is directly responsible for the security within the concert, but we had security patrols in the area. We had observations post from where we were monitoring the concert in case there were any incidents reported. We would have been able to respond quickly.

Q: How many Town Halls in the municipalities are still flying the Albanian banner?

SM: I don’t have a number, but there is at least one.

Q: Do you have any information about the Special Envoy for the Albanian held in prison in Serbia?

SM: I believe they are closing in on the nomination. We were expecting here any day now.

Q: Do you have any information on who might be that person?

SM: No, not that we can give the name out yet.

Q: Why the representatives of the United Arab Emirates stopped the Bishop Artemje from visiting yesterday the church in Vucitrn?
SS: I read this report this morning. I do not have any details on this incident at this time.

Q: The United Arab Emirates have announced that they are going to build some fifty mosques in Kosovo and that they have had already talks with UN about this. Are you aware of this and what would you say about it?

SM: I have just read about it in the media this morning, but I can contact our Culture Department and see if they are aware of it and whether it was a plan along with the people of Kosovo, I am not sure.