OSCE Chairman-in-Office outraged by crimes against population in Kosovo

OSLO, 1 April 1999 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Knut Vollebæk, expresses his profound outrage that Yugoslavian and Serbian forces have in recent days blatantly perpetrated, and continue to perpetrate, crimes against the Albanian population of Kosovo that amount to grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, violations of the laws and customs of war, and crimes against humanity.

Over 150,000 Kosovo Albanians have been subjected to mass expulsion across Yugoslavia's international and internal borders. Even larger numbers are believed to be internally displaced within Kosovo, and may yet seek refuge outside the province. The expulsions have been achieved through systematic terror and coercion by Yugoslavian and Serbian forces. Credible reports describe the main towns of Kosovo being emptied, in some instances by highly organized deportations. Within the towns, large-scale destruction and looting of property has been reported. Moreover, there has been a dramatic escalation in the wanton and evidently systematic razing of rural communities.

Serbian forces have apparently sought to devastate the Albanian community by targeting its political and intellectual leadership. In this regard the OSCE Chairman-in-Office is gravely concerned about the fate of several political leaders and other figures of influence in the Kosovo Albanian community.

The Chairman-in-Office is also gravely concerned about the fate of a number of Kosovo Albanians who worked for, or were otherwise associated with, the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission.

With the uprooting of Kosovo's Albanian population, the very integrity of the Kosovo Albanian people is threatened. Conditions must be created for the safe and voluntary return of the Kosovo Albanians to their homes. For as long as it is not safe for their return, the international community must do all in its power to ensure the urgent care and protection of refugees and the internally displaced.

All persons who planned, instigated, ordered, committed or otherwise aided and abetted in the planning, preparation or execution of these serious violations of international humanitarian law against the Kosovo Albanians should be brought to account, says the Chairman-in-Office.