[Nettime-bold] briefing 08.05.2001

[ebalkan@soros.org.mk]

"EURO-BALKAN" INSTITUTE ON MACEDONIAN CRISIS

08-05-2001

CONTENTS:

Daily briefing from Macedonian press about Macedonian crisis

Daily briefing from international press about Macedonian crisis

a) DAILY BRIEFING FROM MACEDONIAN PRESS ABOUT MACEDONIAN CRISIS
MACEDONIAN ECURITY FORCES FREE THE VILLAGES
The Macedonian security forces are freeing the villages in the Kumanovo region occupied by the terrorists. The Macedonian Army broke up the terrorist groups at the village of Slupchane, they were totally destroyed while attempting to flee towards Vaksince. After the Macedonian Army troops arrived at the entrance of Slupchane, the security forces continued to neutralize the terrain surrounding Vaksince. The terrorists are fleeing towards Kosovo and the northern villages in the Kumanovo region. The security forces have no casualties, no injured, nor damage to the combat equipment. The action for neutralization of the terrain in the region of Kumanovo started yesterday at 8:10, with a combined action of the artillery and tank divisions of the Army and the helicopter units of the Military Air-force. The security forces freed the village Opae with no particular difficulty, and yesterday afternoon they were at the entrance of the village Slupchane. The terrorists yesterday morning met the Macedonian Army units with fire at the entrance of the village Slupchane. The extremist groups were positioned on both sides of the road, but were quickly broken up and the terrorists retreated towards the village. Yesterday, at 12:00, no one managed to exit the villages. The terrorists are using the population as a live shield, but we continue to attack strictly defined targets – says Markovski. In the last 24 hours, a group of 20 to 30 terrorists left the region and went over to Kosovo. The day before yesterday 156 people arrived in Kumanovo, 75 of them of Albanian nationality and 95 of Macedonian nationality, mainly children from the villages in the vicinity of Lopate and Opae. (“DNEVNIK”)

DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE ON MACEDONIA BY EUROPE
The high representatives of the European Union and NATO, Javier Solana and George Robertson, yesterday imposed intensive pressure for the forming of a grand coalition Government the forming of which was unexpectedly endangered because of the latest disagreements in the standings of the SDSM (Social Democratic Union of Macedonia) and VMRO-DPMNE. Solana yesterday, continued the foreseen visit to Skopje with the intention to attend the afternoon meeting between the President, Boris Trajkovski, and the leaders of the parliamentary parties. Before the closing of the newspaper’s issue, the meeting that was expected to give a definite standing for the creation of a new government coalition was still in progress. The leader of the DPA (Democratic Party of the Albanians), Arben Xhaferi, stated that “Solana will not leave Macedonia until he gets a positive answer concerning the coalition”. The new round of negotiations between the leaders of VMRO-DPMNE and the SDSM, Ljubcho Georgievski and Branko Crvenkovski, and Arben Xhaferi of the DPA, that took place yesterday in the hotel “Alexander Palace” in Skopje, reached a critical point after some new conditions for the coalition were set on the negotiation table. We are informed that the leader of the SDSM categorically requested people from the opposition to take the position of President of the Parliament, Public State Appellant, directors of the Customs Administration, Macedonian Power Industry, Public Income Administration, Privatization Agency, Health Fund, a directorial position in the Security Administration and Counterintelligence and Chief positions in the Municipal Administrations of the Internal Affairs Ministry. “For VMRO-DPMNE this is unacceptable”, say official party sources. (“DNEVNIK”)

FOR A CAPTURED “WOLF” – 200,000 DM REWARD
The self-proclaimed NLA offers a reward of 200,000 German marks for those that will capture, alive, a “wolf” – member of the elite special unit of the Macedonian Army, and bring the “wolf” to the paramilitary army, claim several policemen from Bitola that have returned these days from Shar Planina. (“DNEVNIK”)

PARTY REACTIONS ON THE STATEMENT OF ARBEN XHAFERI THAT ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES CAN PREVENT THE UPRISING
The statement made by the leader of the DPA (Democratic Party of the Albanians), Arben Xhaferi, that “we must immediately introduce changes in the Constitution, because it is the only way to stop the uprising in several parts of Macedonia”, provoked strong reactions in the state political circles. “We are not for any kind of changes in the normative part of the Constitution, because it provides a wide frames for exercise of human rights. The rights exercised by the Albanians in Macedonia are on very high international standards”, says the coordinator of the representative group of VMRO- DPMNE, Chedomir Kraljevski. Xhaferi’s statement, continues Kraljevski, is blackmail, because it leads to achieving changes in the Macedonian Constitution with military methods. The general secretary of the SDSM, Gjorgji Spasov, is on the opinion that the state must primarily deal with the terrorism, because the military measures just bring away Macedonia from the bringing of any kind of agreement. “The war”, he says, ”fortifies the positions of all counterparts involved in the political dialogue”. The PDP (Party for Democratic Prosperity) spokesman, Zahir Bekteshi, evaluates the Macedonian political system as one that does not comply to the actual situation in the country and that is why it must undergo certain changes. “All institutions and political subjects have to act in the direction of finding a solution of the open issues”, adds Bekteshi. “Arben Xhaferi’s statement is so extreme and pure blackmail, that it leaves no space for dialogue for what the leader of the DPA allegedly stands for”, announces the representative of VMRO-VMRO, Zlatko Stojmenov. “I am astonished”, he continues, “that an European politician can make a statement in the style of Bin Ladden”. “A serious politician can not bring judgments on the statements of other politicians based on journalist reports. That is why it is now Xhaferi’s turn to, before the Parliament or on a conference of the press, finally, once and for all, give an explanation whether there is an uprising in Macedonia or not”, underlines Slobodan Chashule of the political party New Democracy. (“NOVA MAKEDONIJA”)

HISNI SHACIRI’S, FORMER PARLIAMENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DPA AND NOW SOLDIER OF THE NLA, STATEMENT FOR KOSOVAPRES
The NLA defends its positions and the soldiers of the NLA have not retreated, not even for a millimeter, from their positions. According to Shaciri, the territory of the Lipkovo municipality is under complete control by the NLA. The Macedonian forces have made great damage to the civil population, both human and material damage, because they do not choose methods in their attacks on our positions. Each information on the retreat from the current positions of the NLA is not true – added Shaciri, at the same time refusing to accept as true the data given by the spokesman of the Macedonian armed forces that there are about 20 killed soldiers in the NLA. Among the population there is an extremely strong moral and no such force exists that can make them leave their homes. Our war is a war of justice and is supported not only by the population where it is conducted, but also by the other parts inhabited by Albanians. (“FLAKA” – Macedonian newspaper in Albanian)

b) DAILY BRIEFING FROM INTERNATIONAL PRESS ABOUT MACEDONIAN CRISIS

EU AND NATO FORCED MACEDONIA TO BACK DOWN ON DECLARATION OF WAR
Macedonia bowed to international pressure yesterday and shelved plans to call for a state of war against ethnic Albanian rebels, after warnings that the move would wreck the coalition government and could destabilise the region. A day of hectic EU and NATO diplomacy ended with a postponement of a session of the Macedonian parliament, scheduled for today, which would have debated whether to give the government war powers. NATO's secretary-general said the country was "on the brink of an abyss", describing ethnic Albanian rebels as "a bunch of murderous thugs whose objective is to destroy a democratic Macedonia and who are using civilians as human shields". The West had a different message in private, appealing to Macedonia not to alienate its ethnic Albanian minority. The EU delegation pressed the country's leadership to widen the ruling coalition to include the main Slav opposition party. An Albanian walkout would have left Macedonia's majority Slav parties in power on their own, destroying the government's claims to represent the minority group. (Excerpts from Independent) Lord Robertson told reporters that senior NATO officers would meet top Macedonian generals to discuss “how we can coordinate the efforts to help Macedonian forces” against the rebels. (Excerpts from AP) "Macedonia is on the brink of real trouble. This is a time of real crisis," said Robertson, "Our message is that the people of this country must pull back from the brink before further disaster which will hit everybody," said the alliance chief after meeting President Boris Trajkovski, Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski and leaders of political parties. "There must be a support for a grand coalition, a united front against violence," he stressed. (Excerpts from AFP) Lord Robertson warned that unless a solution could be found "then there are great fears in the region that there will be another Balkans civil war.""I really hope that the lessons of the past have been learned and people will step back from the edge of an abyss.”(Excerpts from Associated Newspapers)

MACEDONIA HOLDS OFF ON DECLARATION OF WAR
Some parties voiced deep reservations about declaring a state of war, which would expand the powers of the presidency and security forces. Official media reported that the government had withdrawn its request for the declaration to go to a vote. Government officials said President Boris Trajkovski would give the matter more consideration and then make a final decision. Mr. Trajkovski earlier called off a scheduled visit to Turkey because of the tense situation in his country. (Excerpts from International Herald Tribune) According to the constitution, a state of war gives wide powers to the President and security forces but requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority. As Slav parties already have this, approval would seem to be assured. A state of war would allow for: Presidential rule by decree; fewer restraints on the Army; the banning of demonstrations; a nationwide curfew and the sealing of the country's borders. (Excerpts from New Zealand Herald)

"THERE IS WAR" IN MACEDONIA
"There is war in Macedonia, a country that for a long time was seen as an exemplary multiethnic democratic state in the Balkans." The paper puts most of the blame at the door of Albanian extremists from the KLA, but it warns that NATO countries have failed to take the issue of disarming the KLA as seriously as they should have. "What is worse, however, is that the EU has been watching passively for weeks while just outside its borders a war has been brewing that might spell disaster for all of the Balkans."(Excerpts from Berliner Zeitung) "Europeans and Americans together must act more decisively against the KLA in Kosovo." (Excerpts from Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

US BACKS MACEDONIAN FIGHT AGAINST ALBANIAN REBELS - TO A POINT
The United States expressed Monday its support for Macedonia's stepped-up fight against ethnic Albanian rebels but warned Skopje against the drastic step of declaring a state of war. US President George W. Bush "supports the efforts of the government of Macedonia to fight the extremists who have brought the violence to the region," spokesperson Ari Fleischer said. "We understand the government of Macedonia is under pressure because of the continued resort to violence by the extremists and then we condemn this violence, we condemn in the strongest terms the unprovoked acts of terrorist violence taken by the so-called NLA," Boucher said. But he added, "The focus, we believe, should be on pressing forward with the political tracks, even as the government carries out its obligation ... to re-establish a security situation." (Excerpts from AFP) The Bush administration voiced support Monday for Macedonian soldiers and political leaders who cracked down on Albanian rebels over the weekend. At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher welcomed word that the Macedonian government had shelved plans to seek a formal declaration of war. “Frankly, we think that's a wise course,” Boucher said. (Excerpts from AP)

MACEDONIA 'DEAL' ON UNITY GOVERNMENT
The Prime Minister says that moves towards a declaration of a “state of war” are now off the agenda. With all the main parties together in one government, the main precondition for a political deal between Macedonians and Albanians appears to have been achieved. (ABC news online) Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski announced the breakthrough after talks attended by the European Union's security chief, Javier Solana. "The great percentage of the deal is done," Mr. Georgievski said. "I am optimistic that we will form a grand coalition tomorrow." With all the main parties together in one government, the main pre-condition for a political deal between Macedonians and Albanians would be met. A senior ethnic Albanian guerrilla leader told the BBC that the National Liberation Army would continue fighting until the Macedonian Government agreed to speak to them. (Excerpts from BBC) "Our aim is to continue the operation until the terrorists are neutralized. The fact that Robertson is here does not mean that we have to let the terrorists march in to Skopje central square," said government spokesman Antonio Milososki. In a communiqué, the rebel "National Liberation Army" again offered a ceasefire in exchange for direct talks with the government to prevent what it said would be further civilian deaths from the army's "indiscriminate use of force." (Excerpts from The Globe and Mail) Robertson said NATO southern commander Admiral James Ellis would meet Macedonia's military chief of staff to discuss closer co-operation with Macedonian forces, but gave no details. He also vowed "aggressive policing of the Kosovo border" with Macedonia by NATO-led forces. Yugoslavia indicated on Monday that it would collaborate with Macedonia to counter the rebels, the state news agency Tanjug quoted Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic as saying. (Excerpts from CNN) "First of all, we'll be exchanging information about locations of terrorist bands, their movements, lines of communications, financing," Zivkovic told the BBC. "We should make a joint action, a joint strategy to fight the terrorism," he said. (Excerpts from Reuters)

ANNAN CONCERNED ABOUT MACEDONIAN FIGHTING
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says he is worried about the rising level of violence in Macedonia and its implications for the Balkan region. Mr. Annan's chief spokesman Fred Eckhard read a statement Monday in which the Secretary-General expresses deep concern about the escalating violence between Macedonian troops and ethnic Albanian rebels. "He is very troubled by the renewed armed hostilities and concerned that the situation, if unchecked, will spiral into a more grievous conflict with dire consequences for the entire Balkans region." Mr. Eckhard says the U.N. Secretary General remains in telephone contact with NATO Secretary General Robertson and EU representative Solana who are both in Macedonia. (Excerpts from VOA)

IF THERE IS A MILITARY SOLUTION TO THE REBELLION, EUROPE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT
During his meetings today, the NATO chief committed to wider military support for the government's counterinsurgency effort. He pledged to encourage NATO member nations to step up bilateral military aid and training for Macedonia's relatively poorly equipped security forces, and agreed to increase intelligence sharing between NATO and Macedonian military officials about rebel operations. A senior Macedonian official said that Adm. James Ellis Jr., NATO's southern commander, had agreed to provide the local military with tactical advice, but the claim could not be confirmed immediately. "We came to tell the government to exercise restraint," said a NATO official with Robertson's group. He said that if there is a military solution to the rebellion, "Europe would love to hear about it," particularly Spain and Ireland, where governments have been confronting ethnic guerrillas for years. But, he said, "Guns are not the way out of this situation…on either side." Nikola Dimitrov, national security adviser to the president, said constitutional reform in particular would open the door to an eventual referendum in which ethnic Albanians could vote to separate from the country. (Excerpts from Washington Post)


HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: MACEDONIA CONFLICT ENDANGERS CIVILIANS
Both the Macedonian authorities and the armed ethnic Albanians operating as a group called the National Liberation Army (NLA) must comply with basic principles of international humanitarian law applicable to internal armed conflicts, Human Rights Watch said today. On Friday Human Rights Watch sent letters to Macedonian President Trajkovski, Prime Minister Georgievski, and the NLA political spokesman Ali Ahmeti, urging that both sides to the conflict respect civilian immunity. "The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia also applies to Macedonia," said Holly Cartner, executive director of the Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch. "This should make those fighting in Macedonia think carefully about the manner in which they conduct operations in the ongoing conflict."

OSCE APPEAL TO MACEDONIAN MEDIA TO REFRAIN FROM "HATE SPEECH"
Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, appeals to the media in the Macedonia to refrain from any form of "hate speech" that can only exacerbate the already precarious situation in the country. "I believe that during these difficult times the media should behave responsibly providing the public with the facts while avoiding any statements that could be seen as generating group hatred," stated Freimut Duve.


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