26
 
by KDOM in mid August that the majority of destruction, throughout Kosovo, was concentrated along the main roads and that, generally, the smaller villages that were hit were virtually uninhabitable but the larger towns could be reinhabited with nominal repairs. From discussions with local displaced Kosovars, however, it appeared that security was more of an issue for them than housing availability and was the primary factor precluding return to their homes.

By 6 October 1998, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees ("UNHCR") estimated that 294,100 people had thus been displaced by the fighting: 200,000 remaining within Kosovo; 20,000 being elsewhere in Serbia; 20,500 having travelled over the border into Albania; 41,800 to Montenegro; 6,800 to Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1,000 to FYROM and 2,000 in each of Turkey and Slovenia27. Many of the internally displaced have been forced to move from area to area within Kosovo, as the offensive operations of the Serbian/FRY forces progressed, carrying with them only those of their belongings which were easily transportable. By the approach of winter, however, it seems that the overwhelming majority of displaced persons were living within permanent structures, generally the homes of their extended families, rather than in the open, and it is largely due to this feature of the structure and interrelations of Kosovar society that a more massive humanitarian disaster was averted at this time.

Having thus identified the general pattern of attack and the Serbian/FRY forces involved in the campaign, there follows an outline of events from March to the beginning of October, before attention is focused on some specific examples of the serious violations of international humanitarian law which were committed by these forces. It should be noted that, while the summary seeks to chart the general progression of the campaign and mentions many towns and villages throughout Kosovo, it is in no way an exhaustive description of the damage or casualties inflicted. Instead, what is sought to be developed is a broad picture of trends and movement, as well as to leave no doubt as to the level of organisation and co-ordination required for such a campaign to have been mounted. It must also be emphasised once again that the present report does not attempt to chart the violations of international humanitarian law committed by the UCK, nor the various attacks and operations mounted by it.

  1. Chronological summary: March – October 199828

The region of Drenica, in the centre of Kosovo, being a known stronghold of the UCK, was the first to be targeted by the Serb security forces. In February and March 1998, operations were mounted by large numbers of MUP troops, including special units, who attacked Kosovar families in Prekaz, Cirez and Likosane, resulting in the deaths of 83 people as well as substantial destruction of property29. Witnesses and the media report the arrival of MUP

  1. UN Inter-Agency Situation Report 66, 30 September - 6 October 1998.
  2. This chronology is drawn largely from the reports of the European Community Monitoring Mission and subsequent KDOM reports, as well as from some press sources. The spelling of names is generally in the Serbian, although some are necessarily in Albanian. Inaccuracies in spelling have been sought to be reduced as much as possible.
  3. See "Humanitarian Law Violations in Kosovo", a report prepared by Human Rights Watch in October 1998. See also, Military Watch, 12 March 1998 (vol. 3.5) and "Spotlight on Kosovo, Human Rights in times of Armed Conflict", issued by the Humanitarian Law Center, in Belgrade, in May 1998.