Suspected mass grave still unconfirmed

Government's Missing Persons Commission President Veljko Odalovic says that results have not yet arrived which could confirm a mass grave near Raska. Odalovic said he expected a report of the judicial authorities that will announce the results as soon as they get them from the Faculty of Mining and Geology, which is analyzing soil structure samples taken from the location in southern Serbia earlier this month. Suspected mass grave still unconfirmed He pointed out that the testing had been done ten days ago in the entire area in question, and that soil samples had been taken from 11 locations. According to Odalovic, representatives of a working group from Pristina, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), EULEX and state authorities were present. Serbia's War Crimes Prosecution decided to probe the location after it received information that a secondary mass grave could be located there, containing the remains of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, killed in 1999. As for the search for the bodies Serbs killed during the war in the province, and after the June 1999 arrival of international forces there, Odalovic said today in belgrade that the Serbian side had submitted a request to investigate a otential mass grave near Suva Reka, and that he expected to be informed when the probe would be conducted. He said that as far as the Belacevac location was concerned, he expected that excavations, which had been stopped due to heavy rockslides, would continue by the end of July, or early next month. Odalovic also pointed out that the Serbian authorities had received assurances that the Kosare area, where remains of Serbs are believed to be buried, would be cleared of mine fileds in May, June and July of next year. He said that the commission had also received assurances from international institutions that the Livocko Lake site would be checked location for the remains of murdered Kosovo Serbs, and that this would take place in August, after the water level had dropped.

Suspected mass grave still unconfirmed

He pointed out that the testing had been done ten days ago in the entire area in question, and that soil samples had been taken from 11 locations.

According to Odalović, representatives of a working group from Priština, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), EULEX and state authorities were present.

Serbia's War Crimes Prosecution decided to probe the location after it received information that a secondary mass grave could be located there, containing the remains of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, killed in 1999.

As for the search for the bodies Serbs killed during the war in the province, and after the June 1999 arrival of international forces there, Odalović said today in belgrade that the Serbian side had submitted a request to investigate a otential mass grave near Suva Reka, and that he expected to be informed when the probe would be conducted.

He said that as far as the Belaćevac location was concerned, he expected that excavations, which had been stopped due to heavy rockslides, would continue by the end of July, or early next month.

Odalović also pointed out that the Serbian authorities had received assurances that the Košare area, where remains of Serbs are believed to be buried, would be cleared of mine fileds in May, June and July of next year.

He said that the commission had also received assurances from international institutions that the Livočko Lake site would be checked location for the remains of murdered Kosovo Serbs, and that this would take place in August, after the water level had dropped.