They were arrested with 5 others and criminal proceedings instituted against them are still unfinished. In Bujanovac, members of Halimi s party have been before the courts on as many as 25 occasions. Many Albanians refused to serve in the army in Kosovo during the war and have since lost their jobs. It is probably fair to say that although there were no problems during the war people have become more dissatisfied since due to the economic conditions as much as anything else. The local officials were quick to say that their relations with ordinary Serbs was good - the state has been and is the problem.
Unemployment is among the highest in Serbia.
Out of the whole population only 1000 are employed in state factories. After the Kumanovo agreement a VJ battalion moved from Orahovac to Pre ovo and took over a local shoe factory causing 250 workers and management to lose their jobs. Machines were stolen and DM3.5m. worth of damage done to the factory. It was also claimed that educational facilities for Albanians were inferior. Text books have not been updated and are improperly translated.