Headlines
(SRT first broadcast film of fascists’ bombing of Belgrade on 6th April 1941 and those of NATO air strikes today)- Exclusively civilian targets hit in the NATO aggression against Aleksinac today – 7 casualties, dozens of injured
- You will see, mass and fierce air-strikes will take place today and this evening – media world-wide today quote a threat by a French General
- The RS Government passed a new decree imposing retail taxes on oil products, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes
- Voice of protest continues in the RS and worldwide today – with a song against NATO bombs
- Husein…., a Turkish citizen suspected of the murder of Jozo Leutar, arrested
According to the Mayor of Aleksinac, result of the NATO bombing of Aleksinac last night – 7 murdered and 26 injured. (RTS report on the bombing of Aleksinac and CNN report on the bombing of Aleksinac)
(Reports on air strikes against other Yugoslav towns)
Tanjug reports on explosions around and in the town of Pristina during last night and today. In the area of Novi Sad, the local oil refinery and, most likely, bitumen warehouse, were hit last night, along with the only bridge left in the town which has been seriously damaged. One NATO aircraft has been reported as having been shot down with its pilot still being sought. In the bombing which hit one RTS transmitter, another NATO airplane was shot down. The pilot is still being sought. NATO also bombed the areas of Sombor, Pancevo, Zlatibor, Kraljevo and Vranje.
Serbian and FRY Governments in a joint meeting – Due to the forthcoming Easter holidays, the Governments of Serbia and the FRY today held a joint session which declared a unilateral halt to all military and police activities in Kosovo and Metohija as of 20:00 hrs this evening. The meeting also stressed that representatives of Kosovo Albanians loyal to Rugova should get involved in preparing the draft peace agreement as soon as possible and that the priority now was to reach an interim agreement ensuring joint working of self-managing bodies in the area that would be comprised of representatives of all local ethnic communities. Bombing of Belgrade – 1941 -1999 – (A report on the fascist bombing of Belgrade on 6 April 1941 in which over 20,000 people were murdered and the town almost completely destroyed. A parallel has been drawn between that time and the current NATO air strikes)
Mass and violent strikes – A French General, Havier Decourt, Deputy Ops. Officer at NATO HQ, in a statement given to Reuters, said that air strikes planned against the FRY for this evening will be the most violent ever. “There will be mass strikes today and tonight, you will see”. Shortly before departing for Belgrade today, the President of the Russian DUMA, Genadi Selezniov, stated that the consultations that were about to start, the meeting of the Contact Group and the preliminary meeting of the respective foreign ministers of Group 8, proved that the option of stopping the bombing and of a peaceful solution to the Kosovo crisis was still open.
Report on NATO briefing in Brussels
President Clinton has today stated that the U.S. never resorts to force when there are still other means available. Madeleine Albright today gave a statement to CNN saying that Milosevic was to be held responsible for NATO bombing and the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo.
According to a report by SKY News today, about 1,100,000 refugees have left Kosovo.
Sadako Ogata today appealed to representatives of humanitarian agencies and governments of 56 countries for their support stressing that 400,000 have left the FRY since the beginning of air strikes. RTS yesterday aired a filming of the visit of the Russian Ambassador in the FRY to the football stadium in Pristina, which had been widely claimed as having been turned into a concentration camp. The Israeli Foreign Minister has expressed concerns that a possible creation of a Greater Albania could lead to major problems in Europe in the years to come.
A commentary published in today’s issue of the Washington Post claims that possible deployment of land forces in Kosovo would mean going deeper and deeper into conflict instead of trying to seek a solution to the problem. The Leader of the Serb Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic, today suggested that the Yugoslav authorities close border crossings with Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro and do their utmost to ensure the return of Kosovo refugees. Draskovic went on to accuse NATO of being responsible for the current humanitarian crisis in Kosovo.
Macedonian media today warn that there are OVK members dressed in civilian clothes amongst refugees fleeing from Kosovo.
BETA reports that the first Russian Deputy PM, Baslukiov, has today stated that offering military support to the FRY would be impossible and was unnecessary. However, the Vice President of Russian DUMA today announced that, after having consulted his colleagues, he would, most likely, recommend to President Yeltsin that the FRY be provided with the most modern air-defence systems.
The FRY Ambassador to the UN, Vladislav Jovanovic, in a CNN show last night, stated that the FRY would not give up on defending itself at any cost.
The FRY Foreign Minister, in a letter to the UN Secretary General, Koffi Annan, warned that he would undermine the credibility of the UN by doing nothing to stop the NATO aggression. The Spokesperson for the UN SG, Fred Eckhart, has stated that he is not planning to travel to Belgrade now as he was currently focusing on the problem of Kosovo refugees.
China warned again that the UN SC should undertake efficient measures to stop the aggression against the FRY, thus indirectly accusing the SG of being passive on it.
According to Tanjug, the President of the UN General Assembly has stated that Kosovo was not far away from peace and that initiatives will shortly come around to resolve the crisis in a diplomatic way. The Honorary President of the Demo-Christian Faction in the German Federal Parliament, Alfred Dreger, has requested that the NATO aggression should urgently stop.
The Brankov Bridge linking the old and the new part of Belgrade will this evening be guarded by Deans, Rectors and Provosts of Belgrade University. Report on the situation in Montenegro – The situation seems to be normalising as Montenegro has been saved from air strikes in the past ten days. However, the population seems to be equally embittered (interviews). (Report on situation in Danilovgrad – the first Montenegrin town bombed by NATO).
Over two thousand citizens of Visegrad held a protest rally in support of the people of the FRY today. Similar protest rallies were also held in Bijeljina and Prijedor.
10th rock music concert took place in Belgrade today. Protests are continuing in other towns such as Novi Sad, Smederevo etc., and, also, abroad.
RS -related news
The RS Government met in BL today. The emphasis was put on the regulation of traffic of goods, protection of domestic production and a more efficient system of tax enforcement. Savo Loncar, the Deputy PM, explained that the decree that had been passed to regulate the exchange rate between the KM and the Yugo dinar had nothing to do with the exchange rate itself but regulated how the exchange rate would be determined and by whom. The RS PM, Milorad Dodik, today addressed the RS public. After briefing on what this Government had so far done, Dodik expressed the belief that there were still chances for this path to be continued and to gain fresh impetus. The situation has now deteriorated through a series of events including the aggression against the FRY, the Brcko Arbitration decision, non-functioning of the institution of the RS President, suspension of our work in joint institutions, increasing polarisation and blockade of the work of the RS NA and the withdrawal of international representatives from the RS. Dodik stressed the need for the issue of the RS Government to be resolved as soon as possible. Mr. Radisic must either resume doing his job or step down.
The RS President dismissed by the HR, Nikola Poplasen, addressed a letter to the HR warning him that eliminating the SRS and dismissing its MPs would lead to unforeseen consequences. (parts of letter read) The HR, Carlos Westendorp, met with Radisic and Djokic at the SFOR Ramici base today. After one hour, the meeting was also joined by Plavsic and Dodik. While no statements were made, the meetings are believed to have discussed the current political situation in the RS on the eve of the RS NA session that will elect the RS President and its new Government. SNS held a press conference today that appealed to NATO to stop its aggression against the FRY and thus prevent the crisis from spreading. Commenting on the recent mining of the Belgrade-Bar railway line, Stanko Stanic, the SNS vice-president, appealed to SFOR to return to its mandate. On the election of the new government, Stanic said that the SNS was prepared to reach a compromise on the matter and resolve it in a package together with that of the RS President and vice-president. Sloga will give several names, including that of Dodik, and will be prepared to cooperate with Ivanic should he be nominated as the new PM designate. Slavko Mitorvic, a member of the SNSD Executive Board, at a press conference in BL today, appealed to the HR to condemn the behaviour of certain politicians in the BH Federation whose recent statements certainly did not contribute to peace in the region. On the issue of the RS Government, Mitrovic said that the SNSD wanted to see a government of political consensus, rather than that of national unity established in the RS.
The SRS today released a public statement referring to NATO air strikes and the recent incident on the Belgrade-Bar railway line. The RS Vice- President, Mirko Sarovic, met with the Head of the OSCE mission, Robert Barry on the current situation in the RS, with a particular emphasis on the recent SFOR action in Strbci. The Strbci incident along with that which recently occurred in the vicinity of Teslic were amongst topics tackled at the regular international press conference in Sarajevo. An Advisor to Alija Izetbegovic for foreign affairs, Mirza Harjic, has refuted recent statements by Zivko Radisic claiming that SFOR had overstepped their mandate by destroying the portion of the Belgrade-Bar railway line which runs through BiH.
Federation-related news.
News from the world.