Kosovo remembers 45 people killed in 1999 and denounces Serbia for not apologizing

By SYLEJMAN KLLOKOQI and ZENEL ZHINIPOTOKU
Associated Press

RECAK, Kosovo (AP) — Hundreds of people have gathered in a village in southern Kosovo to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a mass killing of 45 ethnic Albanians by Serb forces. The deaths helped spark international intervention to end a 1998-99 war in Kosovo. Kosovo’s president, prime minister and parliament speaker joined citizens for Monday’s ceremony at a cemetery in Recak. A former U.S. diplomat, William Walker, who is revered as a hero in Kosovo also was present. Walker’s use of the term “massacre” to describe the killings in Recak paved the way for a 78-day NATO bombing campaign of Serb forces that ultimately ended the war.