Monday, May 17, 2010

Uncovering Albania's role in the Kosovo war

After the arrest of a man in Kosovo on war crimes charges this month, the BBC's Nick Thorpe visits Albania, which is at the centre of the EU-led investigation into torture and murder.

Boy on the beach at Durres, Albania
Durres is a popular holiday spot, but is implicated in a dark chapter of history

The Hotel Drenica still graces the sea-front in Durres, on Albania's Adriatic coast - one of a long line of hotels and restaurants waiting for the summer influx of tourists.

Children take their first dip of the season in the warming sea, while their parents sip coffee and watch them from the terraces, and boys play soccer on the sand.

Ties to neighbouring Kosovo run deep. Tens of thousands of refugees found shelter here during the war, and local people are proud of their role in helping their ethnic-Albanian brethren in their hour of need.

Many bars incorporate Kosovo in their names. In the 1998-99 conflict, the Hotel Drenica was at the centre of everything - it was the local headquarters of the Kosovo Liberation Army. ....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8687186.stm

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