- NATO has in its possession photo-evidence of 43 mass graves in Kosovo, Brigade General Marani said.
- Serbian forces use prisoners from Yugoslav prisons for hiding the evidence of massacres, UK Armed Forces Minister, Doug Henderson said.
- First of the US “Apache” helicopters arriving to Albania today, supported by 2000 soldiers
- NATO currently opposes the idea on ground troops engagement in Kosovo
- Milosevic’s resignation is the condition for permanent peace in the Balkans, US President Clinton said
- US Special Envoy Gelbard met with Croatian President Tudjman, discussing the situation in the region after the NATO strikes
- Mostar citizens unanimously supported OHR decision to annul permanent residential permits
- 18.000 Bosniaks registered for return to private houses in the RS
- Parliamentary and local elections held in Turkey
The NATO alliance firstly announces ground troops and then refutes it, RTV BiH news presenter said. Italian NATO representative Brigade General Marani said that NATO had a very favourable weather in the last 24 hours and added that destruction of a mobile radar system was abandoned, after the pilot already fired the missile, as he spotted that the radar was placed next to a church, so the rocket was re-oriented toward a nearby grassy plain. “This is but one of many examples of how the NATO pilots are trying to reduce collateral damage to minimum” Marani said. UK Armed Forces Minister, Doug Henderson said that Serbian forces are using prisoners to hide the massacres by transporting the bodies far from places of massacres. Henderson added that in the past 24 hours, about 20.000 Albanian refugees crossed the border of Kosovo and 20.000 more are waiting to cross the border as soon as possible.
3:00
In last night NATO action in Yugoslavia, four missiles hit the Batajnica airport near Belgrade, when one child was killed and four people wounded. The heaviest strikes were carried out in Pancevo industrial zone, where nitrogen factory was hit as well as chemical processing and oil refinery.
1:30
UNHCR has no plans at the moment for establishing the air-bridge for refugees in Albania. Albanian government said Albania is ready to receive all refugees from Kosovo. Five people were killed in a refugee car in convoy heading from Kosovo toward Albanian border when the car stepped on a mine, international observers said.
1:30
First US military helicopters “Apache” are arriving today to Albania, but only US President Clinton can authorise their activity. Military analysts said the “Apache” engagement in Kosovo is a high-risk operation. 2000 soldiers will support “Apache” helicopters. London’a weekly “Observer” said that NATO plans the 80.000 soldiers NATO invasion in late may, but NATO refuted this news. Bulgarian radio reported that NATO asked from Bulgarian Government to enable Bulgarian air space to be used by NATO. German Chancellor Schroeder asked NATO partners to be more determinate in preventing the inflow of fuel and capital to Yugoslavia. Schroeder claims that it is unacceptable that there is business with Milosevic while NATO soldiers are risking their lives in actions in Yugoslavia.
2:00
US Special Envoy Gelbard talked to Croatian President Tudjman in Zagreb about the current situation in the region after NATO strikes, DPA implementation and US-Croatian relations. American Embassy confirmed that Gelbard should tomorrow meet with representatives of six Croatian opposition parties.
1:00
ICG Mission Director Hopkinson participated the meeting of “Circle 99”. Hopkinson was speaking about electoral reforms in BiH. The aim of electoral reform is to change to political structure of BiH and that is why appliance of British, Holland or any other European system would be useless, for it would change only certain aspects of electoral system, Hopkinson said. Hopkinson also presented four proposals for changing the electoral systems.
1:30
Thousands of Mostar citizens, Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks are waiting to return to their pre-war apartments so that the recent decision by HR Westendorp on annulment of all permanent war and post-war issued housing permits was praised unanimously. RTV BiH interviewed three Mostar citizens who all said that this is one of the most just decisions ever made. HDZ BiH said that they support the decision, which will be fully implemented throughout BiH, especially in areas with small rate of return.
2:00
According to the data of Moslem Charity Association “Merhamet” 18.000 Bosniaks applied for return to private, mostly uninhabited houses in the RS.
2:00