The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released prior to January 20, 2001.  Please see www.state.gov for material released since President George W. Bush took office on that date.  This site is not updated so external links may no longer function.  Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

KDOM Daily Report Released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, October 28, 1998

Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-4850) from daily reports
of the U.S. element of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission

October 28, 1998

The cease-fire is holding. There are reports today of harassment of IDPs returning to villages, and there have been several incidents involving mines and booby traps. KDOM saw Serbian Special Police establishing new positions in the Malisevo area. There were also reports of Special Police in increased numbers on the Lapusnik-Malisevo road. KDOM established that the police had removed their personnel from the interior of Drenica. The withdrawal in that area has produced a surge of IDP returns. UCK officials estimate that only 5,000 of the previous (last week) 30,000 people in the area remain displaced.

KDOM observed a continuing decline in the number of Serb military out of garrisons as they continue to verify VJ unit deployment.

The problem of mines and booby traps increased today. Residents in Volujak reported finding a mine near the village schoolyard. They alerted KDOM who contacted the Serbian military, a unit of which arrived to disable the mine. KDOM observed UCK personnel removing three grenade booby traps from a house abandoned by Serb police in Dragobilje. A second such booby trap was discovered in an abandoned police position along the Malisevo-Lapusnik road. KDOM accompanied some Serb police units while they disabled explosive devices in areas with strong UCK presence.

Given this serious concern with mines and booby traps, KDOM is planning training for all personnel on mine awareness and will begin tracking reports of booby traps. KDOM has also raised the issue of these explosive devices with UCK officials in Drenica. The UCK report that their personnel have cleared roads in the interior of Drenica of all "Serb mines," making the roads safe. They demonstrated this development by leading a KDOM vehicle from Likovac to Gornje Obrinje, past the spots where a Canadian team, a Serb police vehicle, and an ICRC vehicle had all hit mines several weeks ago.

Return of IDPs increased today. In Drenica, KDOM visited a village now full of people where there was no one 3 days ago. People are rebuilding their homes, harvesting crops, and even hunting quail. On the other hand, KDOM saw a group of IDPs north of Malisevo who claimed they were returning only to retrieve possessions from their homes, then returning to the hills pending a "complete" departure of the Serbs.

Senior UCK officials in Drenica confirmed that their organization is holding two Serbian journalists who disappeared near Pristina airfield about a week ago. The UCK intends to "try" these journalists and pledged to ensure their families could provide lawyers. The official hinted broadly that the two would be released following their "trial."

[End of Document]

Previous reports

Special Section on Kosovo Home Page
Office of the Special Representative
Bureau of European Affairs Home Page.
DOSFAN Home Page.