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Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo Report released by the U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, May 1999

ATROCITIES AND WAR CRIMES BY LOCATION

The following is a partial list of alleged war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law committed in Kosovo since late March 1999. These are fragmentary accounts that are being investigated and documented:

Bela Crkva

Serbian forces reportedly killed 35 people, then dumped their bodies near the Bellaja River (between the Rogova and Bela Crvka railroad). By March 28, Serbian forces reportedly had killed as many as 500 civilians in this town.

Belenica

Serbian forces reportedly executed 60 young male Kosovar Albanians on April 1.

Brusnik

Serbian forces reportedly burned down this village near Vucitrn in early April. A Kosovar refugee claimed that Serbian forces killed 100 ethnic Albanians there following the Rambouillet conference.

Cecelija

On May 4, refugees arriving in Albania from the Kosovo village of Shale reported that they were stopped in the village of Cecelija, where Serbian forces removed all the men from a tractor convoy and killed them. Also on May 4, Albanian TV in Tirana reported by telephone from Shale on the burial of 63 bodies of individuals killed by Serbian forces on May 2. These may be the bodies of those killed in Cecelija.

Cirez

20,000 Albanian Kosovars were reportedly used as human shields against NATO bombings.

Djakovica

Armed Serb civilians have been active in the town and reportedly burned a building while a group of ethnic Albanians were taking cover in it during a NATO airstrike. Kosovars in the town were warned to leave by March 29. Serbian forces began burning their homes and businesses. Men reportedly were separated from women and children. In addition, MUP and paramilitary units in this city reportedly executed over 100 ethnic Albanians. Seventy bodies reportedly were found in two houses and 33 were found in a nearby river. Nearly 14,000 refugees from Djakovica fled to the Albanian border crossing point at Prushit on April 5. According to refugee reports, on April 27, Serbian forces executed 200 military aged ethnic Albanian men.

Djeneral Jankovic

Several refugees claim that Serbian security forces have detained as many as 5,000 ethnic Albanians in a cement factory in this border town.

Glodane

In early April a large concentration of displaced Kosovars was observed in this town under guard by Serbian forces. Eight hours later they were no longer there and the village was ablaze.

Glogovac

The Albanian residential area has been burned, sending IDPs into the Cicavica Mountains. On April 12, Serbian forces reportedly executed 50 ethnic Albanian refugees as they were leaving town. Glogovac also reportedly houses a mass detention center for Kosovar men.

Gnjilane

Between April 7 and 15, Serbian VJ and paramilitary forces reportedly physically abused and extorted money from ethnic Albanians in this town. On April 16, the paramilitary units allegedly ordered that all ethnic Albanians leave the town, or be killed. At least 1,000 IDPs departed and were reportedly harassed by Serbian forces along the way. Men were reportedly separated from the convoy of refugees and killed; Serbian forces reportedly ordered other refugees to bury the bodies of at least six ethnic Albanians. Two of the bodies allegedly had been burned, while the other four had bullet wounds to the back of the head.

Goden

On March 25, Serbian forces allegedly executed 20 men, including schoolteachers, before burning the village.

Gornje Obrinje

A refugee claimed that Serbian forces executed 12 ethnic Albanians on April 5.

Hade

Serbian forces reportedly expelled all 1400 villagers and five men were reportedly executed.

Istok

One thousand refugees from this town arrived at the border with Macedonia on April 8. Some refugees reported that an unknown number of people had died en route and that others were turned back by Serbian police near Raska and Novi Pazar.

Izbica

Serbian forces reportedly killed approximately 150 ethnic Albanians since mid-March. Refugees reportedly saw bodies that appeared to have been tortured and burned.

Jovic

Serbian forces reportedly separated men from the columns of ethnic Albanian civilians, and a refugee claimed that he saw 34 corpses in the town.

Kaaniku

Refugees claim that Serbian forces killed 45 ethnic Albanians on April 9 and buried their bodies in a mass grave.

Kacanik

A refugee claimed that as many as 300 masked VJ and MUP soldiers forcibly expelled ethnic Albanian villagers towards Prizren. On April 14, Serbian paramilitaries reportedly separated men from women and children, drove them into a pasture, and forced them to kneel and pledge allegiance to Serbia. The paramilitaries then fired at them, killing at least twelve, according to refugee reports.

Kamena Glava

On April 6, Serbian paramilitary units reportedly looted homes and burned the village. After driving the villagers into the woods for 10 days, VJ forces reportedly ordered all of them to leave the area on April 17.

Klina

The expulsion of the town's ethnic Albanian population began on March 28, with Serbian forces removing residents from their homes and ordering them out of the country. Serbian forces reportedly used 500 Kosovar men as human shields during fighting with KLA forces. A refugee who survived the fighting claimed that the men were robbed of their possessions and forced to strip naked and lie in a field for two hours while Serbian artillery fired on nearby KLA positions.

Kosovska Mitrovica

Serbian forces have reportedly expelled all Kosovar Albanians from this city since March 23. In addition, over 200 Albanian homes and shops reportedly have been torched, and Serbian forces reportedly have killed prominent Kosovars. Latif Berisha, a poet and president of the Democratic Alliance of the Mitrovica municipality, allegedly was executed in his home, and Agim Hajrizi, chairman of the assembly of the Independent Workers' Union, reportedly was murdered along with his mother and 12-year-old son. Serbian forces reportedly looted Kosovar Albanian shops and burned Albanian homes near a barracks that was targeted by NATO air strikes in an apparent attempt to blame NATO for the damage. Serb forces reportedly were continuing to burn villages around this town as of April 2.

A refugee claimed that Serbian forces separated out young ethnic Albanian men, tied their hands together, and led them into the street. Although the refugee did not witness any mass executions, she claimed to have witnessed one VJ soldier shooting an ethnic Albanian while he sat in a car. A refugee from a nearby village claims to have witnessed Serb civilians executing a young ethnic Albanian boy. The ethnic Albanians who were expelled from nearby villages remain in the Cicavica Mountains, east of the town.

Kosovo Polje

Serbian forces reportedly forced ethnic Albanians into their homes and then threw hand grenades inside. According to other refugee reports, ethnic Albanians were burned alive in their homes, and on March 28, Serbian paramilitary forces killed at least 70 Kosovar civilians. Refugees traveling from Pristina by train reported that Serbian paramilitary units boarded the cars and stole all of their valuables. Serbian forces reportedly entered the village on April 4, collected all the villagers, confiscated their personal documents and car keys, and then transported them to the border by train.

Kotlina

According to refugees from this town near Kacanik, between 50 and 60 ethnic Albanian men remain missing. The rest of the Kosovar inhabitants were reportedly loaded onto trains and sent to Macedonia. On April 8, ethnic Albanians discovered a mass grave, which it is suspected contains the bodies of some 26 persons, according to refugee reports. The victims allegedly were murdered in mid-March by a Serbian paramilitary group, which had reportedly entered the town and separated the ethnic Albanian men from their families.

Kraljane

Kosovar Albanian refugees claim that Serbian forces executed 100 ethnic Albanian civilians on April 4.

Kuraz

Serbian forces reportedly killed 21 schoolteachers in this village near Srbica. Refugees also claim that as many as 200 ethnic Albanians were detained there by Serbian security forces as of April 5.

Likovac

Serbian forces reportedly burned this village south of Srbica on March 30.

Lipjan

Serbian forces reportedly forced ethnic Albanian villagers out of the area on April 20. In addition, they looted and burned Albanian residences. Serbian paramilitary forces allegedly shot more than 50 civilians in three surrounding villages.

Ljubenic

Refugees reported that on April 8 Serbian forces murdered at least 100 ethnic Albanians from this village in western Kosovo.

Mala Krusa

One hundred and twelve men were shot and their bodies burned in an apparent attempt to conceal the evidence, according to a wounded and burned survivor of the executions.

Malisevo

Serbian forces reportedly destroyed most of the town and its surrounding villages. Refugees from the town claim to have witnessed Serbian forces burning ethnic Albanians alive. Female refugees claim that Serbian forces were separating men from the groups of refugees. Serbian forces reportedly executed approximately 50 men in this town on March 27. Part of the town was set on fire on March 30. By April 1 the Serbian forces appeared to have emptied the town. Refugees reported that the 50,000 to 140,000 IDPs in the Malisevo-Dulje area had been bombed and strafed by Serbian aircraft and helicopters.

Morina

Refugees claim that on April 7 Serbian security forces laid mines at this main border post between Kosovo and Albania to prevent refugees from crossing.

Negrovce

According to refugee reports, Serbian forces executed five ethnic Albanians on April 5.

Orahovac

Refugees reported that an unknown number of ethnic Albanian civilians were killed during the ethnic cleansing of the city. Members of a group of Roma who arrived at the Albanian border on April 8 claimed that they were expelled because Serbian authorities said that they were originally from Albania and were not "true" Kosovars. The group also reported that Serbian forces killed some 50 ethnic Albanians, including women, children, and the elderly.

According to refugees, as many as 700 men were used as human shields in early April. The ethnic Albanian men reportedly were forced to stand in front of tanks in the rain for two days with their hands tied behind their backs. A few of them reported that they eventually escaped by paying the soldiers 10,000 German marks.

Orlate

According to refugees, buildings in this small village located on the crossroads between Pristina, Pec, and Malisevo were set on fire by Serbian forces on March 30 after some 200 ethnic Albanian men had been executed.

Ovcareva

Serbian forces reportedly burned this village in the Drenica region on March 30.

Pec

It was reported that at least 50 ethnic Albanians were killed and then buried in the yards of their homes on the evening of March 27. On the same day, many ethnic Albanians were reportedly herded into a five-story building in the center of town. MUP forces then loaded them on buses and transported them out of the city. On March 28, 200 ethnic Albanians who sought sanctuary in a Catholic church in Pec were removed and forced out of town. Serbian forces reportedly looted and burned homes and shops throughout the town. Refugees claim that the indicted war criminal Zeljko Raznjatovic (aka "Arkan") was responsible for these abuses. Serbian forces may have expelled 50,000 Kosovars from Pec, and reportedly attacked a column of refugees leaving Pec on April 6.

Podujevo

Serbian forces reportedly were continuing to burn villages east and southeast of this town as of April 5. Serbian forces allegedly executed 200 Kosovar Albanian men of military age. In addition, Serbian forces reportedly removed ethnic Albanians from their cars and shot them on the spot. Ninety percent of the buildings in the town reportedly have been burned. On April 19, Serbian forces allegedly used ethnic Albanians as human shields along the road between Podujevo and Pristina.

Pristina

Serbian forces appear to have completed military operations in the city and began expelling residents and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as of April 4. According to refugee reports, ethnic Albanians were forcibly expelled first from their homes and then from Pristina via train. Approximately 25,000 ethnic Albanians were sent by rail from Pristina to Macedonia on April 1, and over 200,000 reportedly were detained pending transport. According to refugee reports, most of these IDPs were without food, water, medicine, or shelter. Several refugees claim that Serbian forces used loudspeakers and distributed pamphlets to warn ethnic Albanians to leave town or be killed. A Kosovar claimed to have seen three truckloads of dead bodies accompanied by three or four armored vehicles in a graveyard in Pristina on April 2.

Pristina police reportedly arrested as many as 20 former OSCE/KVM local employees, and authorities were said to have searched for ethnic Albanians who held official government positions, worked for international organizations, or worked with foreign journalists. Male ethnic Albanians, including prominent human rights lawyer Bajram Kelmendi and his two sons, reportedly were executed. Serbian paramilitary units reportedly burned and looted Albanian homes and stores throughout the city. Mixed Serbian police and paramilitary units allegedly separated men from women and children.

Kosovar civilians reportedly were processed at the Pristina Sports Complex and then marched to the train station. However, we have received conflicting reports on processing at the Pristina Sports Complex. Buses and large cargo trucks also reportedly were used to transport IDPs to within three to six miles of the border, where they were left to make their way on foot. Refugees reported that the ethnic Albanian neighborhoods of Pristina had been emptied.

Prizren

Serbian forces reportedly executed between 20 and 30 civilians and transported ethnic Albanians to the border. Serbian paramilitary units operated freely throughout the town, according to refugee accounts. At the border, Serbian forces reportedly confiscated all personal documentation, removed license plates from vehicles, and warned the refugees never to return to Kosovo.

A Kosovar Albanian who traveled to Prizren for a funeral on April 2 claimed to have witnessed ethnic Albanian civilians being forcibly evicted from their homes. He alleged that the families were given two hours to vacate their property and that the houses were then either burned or used to shelter Serbian forces. Another refugee from Prizren reportedly witnessed Serbian forces burying numerous ethnic Albanian bodies and burning homes throughout the town. According to refugee reports, many ethnic Albanians remain in hiding because they fear Serb reprisals.

Popovo

Serbian aircraft reportedly bombed this village southwest of Podujevo, killing 10 ethnic Albanians.

Pusto Selo

The bodies of some 70 ethnic Albanians ranging in age from 14 to 50 were reportedly discovered by IDPs on April 1. Serbian authorities reportedly executed a survivor who sought medical treatment nearby.Overhead imagery confirms the presence of a mass burial site.

Rezala

Serbian forces reportedly burned this village south of Srbica on March 30. According to refugees, a mass grave containing approximately 70 bodies was discovered on April 14.

Rugovo

Serbian forces reportedly executed at least 50 ethnic Albanians.

Sojevo

Serbian snipers reportedly killed eight ethnic Albanians, and security forces allegedly expelled the remaining villagers into a nearby field in early April.

Srbica

Serbian forces reportedly emptied the town of its Kosovar inhabitants and executed approximately 115 ethnic Albanian males over the age of 18. Serbian authorities reportedly are holding detainees in an ammunition factory in the town.

Stari Trg

On April 23, Albanian press reported that Serbian forces dumped the bodies of numerous ethnic Albanians from trucks into crematorium furnaces, apparently to eliminate evidence of these deaths.

Stimlje

Serbian forces reportedly burned the headquarters of a human rights committee and the Democratic League of Kosovo. Serbian forces also reportedly burned Kosovar homes, stores, and vehicles, and drove some 25,000 civilians out of the city to villages to the south. In addition, the building housing the former OSCE mission reportedly was burned.

Suva Reka

On March 25, Serbian forces reportedly killed at least 30 Kosovar Albanians, most allegedly by burning them alive in their homes. By March 28, Serbian forces reportedly had burned 60 percent of the buildings in the town. A refugee from the town claimed that Serbian forces killed 40 men on April 4 and dumped their bodies into two mass graves. Serbian military and police forces reportedly killed as many as 350 ethnic Albanians in this town. According to refugee reports, a group of Serbian police officers and civilians robbed and killed an ethnic Albanian family living in a former OSCE office. The Serbian forces then reportedly burned the bodies of their victims. The entire ethnic Albanian population has reportedly been forced from the town.

Urosevac

Serbian forces reportedly forcibly expelled Kosovar civilians from their homes on April 10, and are now using some of the homes as barracks. Former Kosovar shops and homes were reportedly given to Serb villagers. Serbian police officers allegedly transported the civilians to Blace by train. Serbian forces reportedly are targeting the homes of prominent politicians and intellectuals. As many as 40 ethnic Albanians allegedly have been killed. Refugees report the raping of young Albanian girls. According to a refugee, Serbian paramilitary units are forcing Albanian males to dig defensive positions on the southeast side of the city. Nearly 50 paramilitary members reportedly forced 25 civilians from the nearby town of Starosello to dig trenches for three days from April 10 to 12.

Varos Selo

According to refugee reports, Serbian paramilitary forces reportedly entered ethnic Albanian homes, forcibly expelled the residents at knife-point, and stole their belongings. They reportedly killed an unknown number of Kosovars and carried their bodies away.

Vataj

According to refugee reports, Serbian forces killed 14 ethnic Albanians on April 13. One refugee claimed that he was forced to bury the bodies, and that the corpses had gunshot wounds to the back of the head.

Velika Hoca

Two paramilitary units, Arkan's "Tigers" and the "White Eagles," are reportedly based in a housing complex in the town and control the area between Orahovac and Suva Reka.

Velika Krusa

There were reports from refugees in late March that Serbian forces killed between 150 and 160 ethnic Albanian men, after separating them from women and children, and dumped 50 bodies in a mass grave. These reports appear to be corroborated by a videotape shot by a survivor, who stated that about 100 Kosovars had been shot; he gave the names of two dozen of the victims. The BBC aired the refugee's video showing several dead bodies lying in ditches and in the streets. According to the refugee, all of the victims had single bullet wounds in the back of the head or neck. A female refugee from the same village claimed that approximately 40 men were executed by Serbian forces, while other refugees claim that homes were burned, resulting in the deaths of over 60 Kosovars -- including women and children, who were in them at the time. Police reportedly told residents of the nearby villages of Lashec, Kobanje, and Atmadja that "as a gift, we will only kill ten of you," and then told the survivors to "go to NATO."

Vrsevac

Serbian police reportedly used ethnic Albanians as human shields on April 7.

Vucitrn

Serbian forces reportedly burned all houses previously rented by the OSCE and looted Kosovar homes. Refugees from the town also claim that men were separated from their families. On March 27, Serbian forces reportedly killed four young ethnic Albanians, including a 14-year-old girl. By March 29, Serbian forces reportedly had herded Kosovars into a school in the city, and refugees from the town claim that the men were being separated from their families. On May 4, a newly arrived refugee in Albania reported that he had seen at least 50 dead bodies.

Zegra

Serbian forces reportedly expelled all ethnic Albanians from this village, then burned all the buildings on April 13.

Zur

On March 28, local police reportedly ordered all ethnic Albanians to leave town. As many as 7,000 Albanian Kosovars may have been displaced as a result.

Zulfaj

Serbian forces reportedly expelled all ethnic Albanians from this village, then burned all the buildings.

Zjum

Serbian forces reportedly burned this southern Kosovo town.

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