http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22947716-5001028,00.html ?from=public_rss
Agence France-Presse December 19, 2007 Serbs rally against Kosovo independence By Ismet Hajdari in Mitrovica, Serbia Several thousand Serbs opposed to Kosovo's independence have protested in the tense town of Mitrovica ahead of a crucial UN debate on the divisive issue. "Kosovo, Soul of Serbia," said one of the banners waved by the protestors. Another bearing a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin declared "SOS, Save Our Souls,". The rally was held in the Serb-dominated northern half of Kosovska Mitrovica, an ethnically divided northern town widely considered a potential flashpoint as Kosovo moves to independence from Serbia. "We are clearly and loudly telling a part of the international community 'No' to an independent Kosovo," hardline local Serb leader Marko Jaksic said. Mr Jaksic, a member of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's...Serbian Democratic Party, was referring to the United States and European Union, which plans to send a mission to replace the UN one that runs post-war Kosovo. "We're sending Europe a message that its mission won't be coming to Kosovo outside of the UN resolution," he said. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 approved the deployment of the UN mission eight years ago after NATO bombing ousted Serbian forces waging a crackdown on Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. As Mr Jaksic spoke, around a dozen extra police watched on 100m away at either end of a NATO-guarded bridge over the Ibar River, which splits the town's Serb-populated north from its Albanian south. "They want to gift the Albanians yet another country in the Balkans after the bombing," he said. "We want Belgrade to fight tooth and nail for the existence of Kosovo in Serbia. "We want Serbia to suspend all processes with the European Union because that's no place for us. We don't care about full pockets and bellies if we lose Kosovo," he said. Leaders of Kosovo's 1.8 million ethnic Albanians insist they will make a unilateral declaration of independence in "coordination" with Washington and most EU members within weeks, after 18 months of failed talks with Serbia. .... Around two-thirds of its pre-war Serb population has since fled north towards Mitrovica and Serbia proper. Most of the estimated 120,000 Serbs still there live in tiny enclaves and, fearing independence, are also expected to take flight. Meanwhile, moderate Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic appealed to Belgrade to do its utmost to prevent such an exodus, the news agency Beta reported. Separately, before flying out of Belgrade for New York, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said he expected a heated debate on Kosovo at the UN Security Council. Mr Jeremic predicted the issue would remain at the Security Council beyond the New Year holiday period. =============== Group Moderator: [Е-ПОШТА ЗАШТИЋЕНА] page at http://magazine.sorabia.net for more informations about current situation in Serbia http://www.sorabia.net Slusajte GLAS SORABIJE nas talk internet-radio (Serbian Only) http://radio.sorabia.net Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sorabia/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sorabia/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[Е-ПОШТА ЗАШТИЋЕНА] mailto:[Е-ПОШТА ЗАШТИЋЕНА] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [Е-ПОШТА ЗАШТИЋЕНА] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
