PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Amid continuing ethnic violence in Kosovo, German Gen. Klaus Reinhardt takes command of the 40,000 member peacekeeping force on Friday, assuming the reins from British Lt. Gen. Mike Jackson.

The transfer, part of regular rotation, marks a milestone in German efforts to shed an image as a perpetrator of two world wars.

In an interview before assuming the post, Reinhardt said he is prepared to "play tougher" to restore peace in the violence-ridden province, but hopes he does not have to.

MESSAGE BOARDS

Germany today

Rebuilding Kosovo

"I'm here to help in Kosovo ... to rebuild for a better future and this is the mission I have," he said.

Reinhardt said he had no instant solution to Kosovska Mitrovica tensions.

"I think it would be very arrogant ... to come up and offer a solution," he said. "I think I ... cannot offer a solution right now, which will work for the future."

The ongoing violence in the region has hindered Kosovo's path to peace.

Reinhardt studied history and political science at Freiburg University in southern Germany, and acquired a doctorate of philosophy in 1972.

A fluent English-speaker, he also participated in the U.S. military's Command and General Staff Officer course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1975.

He has been commander of Allied Land Forces Central Europe in Heidelberg since April 1998.

Ethnic reconciliation urged

Earlier Thursday, amid new reports of anti-Serb violence, the head of an international group established to restore stability in Kosovo urged ethnic Albanian leaders to help stem threats against the province's Serbs.

"Without reconciliation, there is little hope of establishing a new and democratic Kosovo," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek, who heads the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Contributing to tensions, about 1,000 ethnic Albanians marched north of Pristina, the capital, demanding access to a precious metals mine formerly held by the Serbs and under NATO control since June.

Although the demonstration was orderly, it reflected the deep ethnic divisions splitting Kosovo three months after the entry of the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping force.

War crimes suspect arrested

Also Thursday, Dutch and German troops serving with the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo arrested a suspect sought by the U.N. war crimes tribunal near the southern city of Prizren, Lt. Col. Peter Michalski said.

The man, who was not identified, was sought on suspicion of murders and other atrocities near Orahovac, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Pristina.

Split into Serb and ethnic Albanian halves, Kosovska Mitrovica has for months been the focal point of ethnic tensions in Kosovo.

Estimated 10,000 died in Kosovo conflict

Serbs and Albanians clashed late Tuesday, leaving 1 Serb dead and dozens of other people injured, including French police who moved in to try and re-establish order.

Many Albanians remain angry after the 18-month Serb crackdown that left an estimated 10,000 people dead before NATO bombing forced the pullout of Serb troops.

A grenade attack Tuesday injured two Serbs in the eastern city of Vitina, peacekeepers said. Another grenade was thrown into the yard of a Serb house, but did not explode. One woman died and another was injured in another grenade attack elsewhere, though NATO did not say which ethnic group they belonged to.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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RELATED SITES:

Yugoslavia:
  • War against Yugoslavia
  • Free Serbia Net!
  • Serbian Renewal Movement
  • CIA -- The World Factbook 1999 -- Serbia and Montenegro
  • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia official site
      • Kesovo and Metohija facts
  • Serbia Ministry of Information
  • Serbia Now! News

Kosovo:
  • Kosova Crisis Center
  • Kosova Liberation Peace Movement
  • Kosovo - from Albanian.com

Military:
  • NATO official site
  • BosniaLINK - U.S. Dept. of Defense
  • U.S. Navy images from Operation Allied Force
  • U.K. Ministry of Defence - Kosovo news
  • U.K. Royal Air Force - Kosovo news
  • Jane's Defence - Kosovo Crisis

Resettlement Agencies Helping Kosovars in U.S.:
  • The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • Church World Service
  • Episcopal Migration Ministries
  • Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
  • Iowa Department of Human Services
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Immigration and Refugee Services of America
  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
  • United States Catholic Conference

Relief:
  • UNICEF: Kosovo
  • AmeriCares
  • World Relief
  • Doctors without borders
  • U.S. Agency for International Development (Kosovo aid)
  • Doctors of the World
  • InterAction
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Kosovo Humanitarian Disaster Forces Hundreds of Thousands from their Homes
  • Catholic Relief Services
  • Kosovo Relief
  • ReliefWeb: Home page
  • The Jewish Agency for Israel
  • Mercy International
  • UNHCR

Media:
  • Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
  • Independent Yugoslav radio stations B92
  • Institute for War and Peace Reporting
  • United States Information Agency - Kosovo Crisis

Other:
  • Expanded list of related sites on Kosovo
  • 1997 view of Kosovo from space - Eurimage

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