(23 Apr 1999) Albanian/Nat
Kosovar Albanian refugees who had been hiding out in the village of Malina have moved on to other villages deeper inside Macedonia.
The village of Lipkovo took in some 200 refugees on Friday, many of them hungry and exhausted after days on the move.
They brought with them horror stories of how they'd been trapped in freezing temperatures without food or proper shelter until the Serbs finally set them free.
At last, these refugees can enjoy some sort of calm.
They have just moved to the relative safety of Lipkovo, after a desperate ordeal in nearby Malina.
They were trapped by Serb forces in the Macedonian town which is in an ill-defined area on the border between Macedonia and Serbia.
It's believed they had to drive sheep in front of them during a dangerous border crossing in order to detect landmines in the area.
But when they reached Malina, their problems continued.
The Serbs refused to allow aid agencies in as they would have had to cross through Serb territory.
As a result, the refugees were stuck in Malina, without adequate shelter, in freezing temperatures and with little food.
Finally, the Serbs let them go and they headed inland.
This group of some 200 refugees were taken to the hall in Lipkovo where at least they were safe.
Many had stories of the suffering endured in Kosovo, and the arduous journey to Macedonia.
SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
"Myself and others were trapped in our village in freezing temperatures until the Serbs finally set us free and we walked to Macedonia."
SUPER CAPTION: Fadie Hasani, refugee
For the lucky ones, this wasn't the end of the road.
On Friday afternoon, this family was able to leave Lipkovo to go and stay with relatives living in Macedonia.
They had driven up from Skopje to collect them.
But for all the refugees this is a time of uncertainty and reflection.
And it could be a long time before they pass through this region again.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
