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Nations weigh possible sanctions against Yugoslavia

Cook greets Albright at the talks in London

Ethnic Albanians stage mass protests

March 9, 1998
Web posted at: 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT)

LONDON (CNN) -- Ministers from six major nations were meeting in the British capital Monday to try to reach a consensus on what action to take against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in the Serbs' violent crackdown on ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo.

The meeting came as thousands of demonstrators in Kosovo's regional capital of Pristina took to the streets in a peaceful protest against the latest four-day crackdown, during which about 60 separatist rebels were killed. It reportedly was the largest protest in a decade.

The Serbs declared Sunday that their four-day campaign in Prosovo had ended.

Demonstration in Pristina
	1.3 MB / 14 sec. / 320x240 537 K / 14 sec. / 160x120 QuickTime movie

Political observers said the ministers of the six-member Contact Group will likely decide on a diplomatic mission for Kosovo, since the group is split over just how much pressure to put on Milosevic, who revoked Kosovo's autonomy status in 1989.

Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia and the United States hoped to forge a common response to the Serb crackdown but were still far apart.

Russia, a traditional Serbian ally, follows Milosevic in arguing that the conflict is purely an internal matter; the United States refuses to rule out outside intervention in an attempt to avoid another large-scale Balkan conflict. There were fears the Kosovo crisis could spread to neighboring Albania and Macedonia.

A draft agreement under discussion in London condemns repression in the southern Serbian province, calls for a dialogue on autonomy for the ethnic Albanian majority there and would impose five immediate measures on Belgrade.

Thousands demonstrate in Pristina

A French official said Russia might endorse the political statement but refuse to sign up to the specific measures, which diplomats said included a ban on visas for Yugoslav security personnel involved in repression and a ban on the export of any equipment that could be used in the crackdown.

The draft provided for a 10-day grace period after the initial measures for Milosevic to open a dialogue with moderate Albanian community leader Ibrahim Rugova. If Milosevic failed to do this, further economic sanctions would take effect.

Before the London meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called for swift, firm action and a tough package of economic and diplomatic measures to press Milosevic to open a dialogue on autonomy for the province in southern Serbia.

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel in turn warned that it was "five minutes to midnight" and that Kosovo was like a powder keg threatening to explode.

Diplomats said that former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez may be given a mediation mission by the 54-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Mass protests in Pristina

Coinciding with the Contact Group meeting, tens of thousands of people in Pristina protested against last week's Serbian operation.

The demonstrators marched to the center of the city where they occupied all the main streets. They carried posters and chanted slogans condemning Milosevic for the attacks on Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians make up about 90 percent of the population.

About 3,000 ethnic Albanians, chanting "Serbs out of Kosovo," also demonstrated in London, close to the Lancaster House government residence where the Contact Group was meeting.

The sweep in Kosovo resulted in devastated villages, burned houses, thousands of evacuations and dozens killed.

The Democratic League of Kosovo, the main ethnic Albanian party in the province, said police returned 57 ethnic Albanian bodies on Monday -- more than twice the official number originally provided by the authorities.

Related stories:

• Serbs say Kosovo crackdown over - March 8, 1998
• Milosevic defiant over Kosovo crackdown - March 8, 1998
• World leaders condemn Kosovo violence - March 7, 1998
• Serbs say Kosovo guerrilla leader killed in crackdown - March 6, 1998
• Serbs resume crackdown on Kosovo separatists - March 6, 1998
• At least 20 dead in Kosovo fighting - March 1, 1998
• Clashes in Kosovo leave at least 22 dead - March 5, 1998
• Report: Serb police attack ethnic Albanians in Kosovo - March 5, 1998
• Kosovo Albanians bury clash victims - March 3, 1998
• Serbian police break up mass protest in Kosovo - March 2, 1998
• At least 20 dead in Kosovo fighting - March 1, 1998

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (official government site)
• OSCE: Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina - providing information about the OSCE's activities
• Yugoslavia.com - information, news and links
  • Kosovo
• Serbia Now - non-partisan, non-profit news digest
• Serbia Online - general information on Serbia, its history and institutions
• United Nations
• United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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