BBC News
Tuesday, 19 September, 2000, 13:58 GMT 14:58 UK

UK troops arrive in
Kosovo

British troops will watch for trouble during elections

The first of 600 British troops being sent to
Kosovo ahead of the Yugoslav elections have
left Britain.

The soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Light
Infantry are being sent to bolster the UN
peacekeeping force ahead of Sunday's
elections.

The soldiers left on Hercules transporter
aircraft from RAF Lyneham, near Swindon, on
Tuesday morning.

Battalion commanding officer Lieutenant
Colonel David Wood said: "It is the battalion's
first tour in Kosovo and we are confident we
are fully prepared. I was given six weeks'
warning which has given us ample time.

"The general feeling among everyone is one of
anticipation. They are all looking forward to it."

Presidential elections

Presidential and legislative elections are due to
take place in the country on 24 September.

Some recent opinion polls suggest the
opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica has a two
to one lead over Slobodan Milosovic, but most
independent observers expect the possibility of
widespread electoral fraud.

Though the vast
majority of Kosovo
Albanians will boycott
the election, the
possibility of civil
unrest in some areas of
the province remains.

There is also tension
between pro and
anti-Milosovic Serbs
left in Kosovo. Mr
Kostunica was pelted
by rotten fruit when he
addressed a rally to
Kosovo Serbs in the north of the province last
month.

At the end of next month, municipal elections
will be held in Kosovo under the supervision of
the Organisation for Security and Co-operation
in Europe and that too could provoke tensions
between rival Albanian parties in Kosovo.

The 600 additional
troops have received
extra training in areas
such as landmines and
dealing with
interpreters and
cultural differences.

The battalion's duties
will include the
provision of security
around polling stations.

Their presence will
bring to 4,000 the
number of British troops stationed in Kosovo as
part of the 36,000 NATO troops in the province
since the end of the Nato bombing campaign
last May.

The troops will be on a two-month tour to
cover both elections and their aftermath.

The battalion's duties will include the provision
of security around polling stations in the
municipal elections.