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Kosovo: Preparing for war

Nato's supreme commander in Europe has warned that the situation in Kosovo is spiralling out of control with Serbs and ethnic Albanians preparing for renewed war.

An uneasy truce exists, which is policed by international monitors. October saw Nato threaten Serbia with airstrikes unless it pulled its troops back but General Wesley Clark has accused Serbia of deploying more troops - in violation of commitments made last year.

In 1998 Serbs and the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army fought for control of the southwestern province of Serbia. The population, largely of Albanian descent, want some degree of autonomy and in the ensuing conflict 2000 people died and 250,000 ethnic Albanians became refugees.

After losing territory last year the current truce is a chance for the Kosovo Liberation Army to reorganise, reinforce and rearm. Daja, A KLA Commander, is sure that until they win independence from the Serbs peace is simply a time when they must prepare for war:

"We are more prepared professionally because our soldiers are more experienced and we now have weapons that can stop enemy Serb tanks and armoured vehicles."

The KLA say they now have so many volunteers they are turning many away. The latest recruits know they may be thrown into battle within weeks.

As long as the fragile ceasefire holds there is the time for the rebel soldiers to practice the art of guerrilla fighting. During this truce there is sporadic violence, the latest example a hand grenade attack on a Serbian bar. One Serb woman reinforced to me the fact that the Serbs of Kosovo, who are outnumbered nine to one, are frequently the victims of random killings and kidnappings:

"I would call them terrorists. The ones doing this - the attacks, the shootings - yes, they are terrorists."

Desperately trying to keep the peace between the two sides are international monitors, or verifiers as they are called, many of whom are British. They patrol in armoured Land Rovers last used in Northern Ireland.

Doug Young talks constantly to both the rebels and the Serbs but he is unarmed and if the fighting starts again he will have little power to stop it:

"We are very conscious of the risks here ... It is unusual to somebody from Britain, it is different. We are conscious of mine risks and other risks and even just the terrible roads here in these winter conditions."

The outlook for this part of Europe is not good. For the time being the sub-zero temperatures of Kosovo's winter may have frozen the fighting more effectively than any ceasefire.

But many predict that as soon as the snows melt away so will the peace.

Relevant Stories

Fear of Kosovo's seasonal refugees (09 Jan 99 | Europe)

Internet Links

Kosovo Information Centre
Human Rights Watch: Kosovo
Federal Republic of Kosovo
Serbian Information Ministry

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