Kosovo: Rambouillet clock ticks

Briefing notes

Kosovo: Rambouillet clock ticks

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

19 February 1999

As the clock is ticking ahead of the Saturday noon deadline for the Rambouillet talks, there are small signs of normalisation in Kosovo amid the general atmosphere of suspense and anxiety.

A commercial bus company has begun service between Pec and Glodjane a distance of 25 kilometres covering 14 villages. The Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe-Kosovo Verification Mission is keeping a close watch on the service. KVM staff were on the bus on Monday when the twice daily service started.

UNHCR has urged local authorities to reopen bus lines from major towns to villages and let KVM staff monitor the buses to see that passengers are not harassed. The re-opening of the bus lines is important not just to bring back some normality but also to enable villagers to buy food and other items in towns as they had done before the fighting broke out.