KOSOVO: KOSOVO ALBANIAN ROADBLOCKS LATEST

Описание: (3 Oct 1999) Natural Sound

Tensions between Serbs and ethnic Albanians have escalated in the Kosovo town of Kosovo Polje.

Both sides are refusing to dismantle roadblocks until the other makes concessions.

The dispute began last week when about 100 Serbs in the Kosovo town of Kosovo Polje blockaded the main road to protest at a grenade attack which left three Serbs dead.

The new Albanian barricades went up around Kosovo Polje on Saturday after the United Nations failed to convince Serbs to remove roadblocks they set up after three Serbs were killed in a grenade attack on Tuesday.

The Albanians blocked the road to Kosovo Polje and the main north-south railway line.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
"We have decided to block the railway which we think is being used by Serbs to get food - we are going to stay here until the Serb barricade is removed."
SUPERCAPTION: Izet Mijalica, protestor

U-N officials accused the Serbs of failing to honour an agreement to open the road, and of adding new demands to their existing ones.

Serb leaders said they were seeking a pledge from the United Nations to allow them exclusive use of a local school.

They wanted Albanian students transferred to a building to be vacated by British troops later this month.

U-N authorities, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of the Serb demands were reasonable but they were reluctant to be seen as knuckling under to protesters for fear the phenomenon of highway blockades would sweep the province.

The new blockades in Kosovo Polje, just southwest of Pristina, have set back U-N efforts to ease tensions that escalated after the grenade attack.

Serbs responded to the attack by blocking the highway from Pristina to the western city of Pec.

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