5 Albanians Die in Ethnic Riots in Yugoslavia

Five ethnic Albanians were reported killed in riots Wednesday in Kosovo province, while about 100,000 Slavs rallied at anti-Albanian protests throughout Yugoslavia, some firing guns in the air and demanding arms to fight in the province.

The eight-member collective state presidency, Yugoslavia’s highest constitutional body, said the situation in the southern province is “deteriorating” after eight days of clashes between police and ethnic Albanians demanding political reforms.

“The presidency has ordered that measures be taken to protect the peace and security of inhabitants of villages threatened by inter-ethnic confrontations,” according to a statement carried by Tanjug news agency. No details of the measures were provided.

According to Tanjug, 15 people have been killed since the ethnic Albanians, who are the majority in Serbian-ruled Kosovo, took to the streets. Reporters in Kosovo say about 26 people have been killed.

Among Kosovo’s 1.9 million inhabitants, ethnic Albanians outnumber Slavs 9 to 1.

State-run TV described the situation as on “the verge of civil war.”

Kosovo is an administrative part of Yugoslavia’s largest republic of Serbia. Its ethnic Albanians want more autonomy, a stop to political trials, free elections, release of political prisoners and lifting of a year-old state of emergency.

The state news agency Tanjug said at least three people were killed and five injured Wednesday in Glogovac, a village 12 miles south of Pristina, capital of Kosovo. It said police used a helicopter to disperse “several thousand aggressive” protesters there.

Meantime, Yugoslav television said police shot and killed a man in the village of Stanovac.

The television report also showed an anti-Albanian rally of about 100,000 Slavs in Titograd. Gunfire could be heard, and speakers implored demonstrators to stop firing handguns. Several rallies were also held in Belgrade, the nation’s capital.

At Ivangrad, another 10,000 people demonstrated against “Albanian separatists and Slovenian and Croatian leaders supporting them,” the news agency Tanjug said.

As violence spread through Kosovo on Wednesday, protesters called for military intervention to end “the Albanian uprising.”

At Vucitrn, 20 miles northwest of Pristina, five demonstrators were reported injured, apparently in clashes with police.

Violent clashes were also reported in Lipljan, Titova Mitrovica, Klina, Prizren, Kosovska Kamenica and Gnjilane.