[ALBSA-Info] Swiss bar alleged Macedonia rebel activists

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Swiss bar alleged Macedonia rebel activists

  
BERNE, July 3 (Reuters) - Switzerland on Tuesday barred an ethnic Albanian 
leader allied to rebels in Macedonia, redoubling efforts to keep the country 
from being used as a base to support combat in the Balkans. 

The government declared Ali Ahmeti, political representative of the National 
Liberation Army (NLA) Albanian guerrillas who began a revolt in Macedonia in 
February, persona non grata. 

It also slapped a ban on Xhavit Haliti, a leader of the ethnic Albanian 
Democratic Party of Kososvo, the party headed by former Kosovo Liberation 
Army (KLA) leader Hashim Thaqi. The KLA fought Serb rule in the southern 
Serbian province. 

Berne instructed these two and another Swiss-based activist named Musa 
Dzaferi who is still in Switzerland not to form, represent or support any 
group that joined the violence in Macedonia or backed anyone who did. 

"The activities of these people lend themselves to damaging Swiss ties to 
Macedonia and to third countries that, like Switzerland, seek a peaceful 
solution in the Balkans and condemn warlike activity by Albanian nationists," 
the Federal Justice and Police Ministry said in a statement. 

A ministry spokesman said Ahmeti and Haliti had sought asylum in Switzerland 
but then abused their residence permits. 

"They lived here for years and used Switzerland as a base to collect money, 
spread propaganda and support the KLA materially and financially," he said, 
calling them key figures in ethnic Albanian militarism. 

The two men were believed to be in Kosovo or Macedonia, the spokesman added. 
Some of their family members remain in Switzerland and will be allowed to 
stay for the time being. 

Rebels in Macedonia are fighting what they call state-supported 
discrimination and violence against ethnic Albanians, who make up a third of 
the population. 

Swiss officials say Kosovo Albanian groups use Switzerland as a base for 
logistics, recruitment, propaganda, arms deals and collecting large sums for 
humanitarian purposes, but add they have not triggered security problems in 
Switzerland itself. 

Last month Switzerland muzzled all political activity on behalf of the NLA in 
Macedonia by Fazli Veliu, the NLA political representative in Switzerland.