Macedonian Government Accusations Groundless and Absurd, Says KPC Posted August 13, 2001
KosovaLive 13 August 2001
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Macedonian Government Accusations Groundless and Absurd, Says KPC

August 13, 2001PRISHTINA (KosovaLive) - Accusations made by the Macedonian governmentregarding the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) are groundless and absurd,and are intended to discredit an institution of great importance toKosova, according to a statement from the Kosovo Protection Corpsgeneral staff headquarters Monday.

"The accusations made by the Macedonian government are not just fromtoday, and not only from yesterday either. They have continued sincethe crisis [started] in Macedonia, and they have reached their peak withthe latest accusations that the KPC has involved its forces in theconflict in Macedonia," KPC Press Officer Shemsi Syla told KosovaLive.

The reactions from the KPC came after Macedonian President BorisTrajkovski accused the KPC of direct involvement in the open conflict inhis country.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan andNATO General Secretary Lord Robertson, Trajkovski stated that Macedoniawas being attacked with grenade launchers from villages along the borderwith Kosova. He also claimed that about 600 KPC members had enteredMacedonia from Kosova and taken up positions in the villages of Radusaand Luboten.

However, according to KosovaLive's sources, Macedonian securityforces had killed nine Albanian civilians in the village of Luboten,including one child.

Macedonian Prime Minister Lubco Georgievski also criticized KPC andKFOR saying, "KFOR in Kosovo is playing a theatrical role, as if it wereprotecting the border."

"It a big shame for the international community to not fulfill itsobligations, and Macedonia is a victim of its irresponsibility,"Georgievski said.

Syla denied the accusations as "absurd and completely groundless.""They have no factual support whatsoever," he said.

A similar accusation was also denied Sunday by KFOR spokesman HowardRhoades. KPC's involvement in the Macedonian conflict, according toSyla, was also denied by Macedonian Defense Minister Vlado Buckovskihimself. "The KPC is not involved in the conflict," Buckovskireportedly said.

Syla said that all the accusations made by the Macedonian governmenthad a specific intention: "It is done to justify themselves before theirpeople, as a reason for their failure in an open confrontation with theAlbanians people there."

The use of violence against the Albanians reached its culminationand the Macedonian government found itself at the edge of a cliff, Sylaadded. In this context, Macedonian officials seek to justify theirlosses by telling their own people that people with experience in warfrom Kosova were involved in the conflict, he said.

"As an institution, we have always said that war is not the bestsolution to the conflict in the region. The conflict in Macedonia is apolitical problem and it can only be solved politically. The KPCsupports this kind of solution," Syla said. (m.shefkiu)