[AMCC-News] William G. Walker: Macedonia Albanians "see themselves as second-class citizens in their own country."

[Mentor Cana]

    "After a decade of Macedonian independence, its Albanian citizens see
     themselves as second-class citizens in their own country. Despite the
     fact that Macedonia is a nation of many minority groups, with none
     representing an overwhelming majority, Slavic Macedonians occupy more
     than 90 percent of public-sector jobs and make up 90 percent of the
     police force and 90 percent of the university student population.
     Macedonian remains the only official language permitted, and
     Albanian-language universities are denied public funding."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16709-2001Jun3.html

A Big Tent for Macedonia

By William G. Walker
Monday, June 4, 2001; Page A19

Macedonia is at a place at which taking the wrong fork in the road could
lead to another Kosovo, or worse. Recent TV coverage of Albanian villagers
fleeing the violence of government efforts to crush a guerrilla force --
scenes straight out of the 1999 Kosovar refugee tidal wave that engulfed
the region -- only confirms this possibility.

The newly announced "grand coalition" government in Skopje has the historic
responsibility to formulate and deliver a bold package of reforms. If
successfully implemented, such measures would contribute to forging a
multiethnic society in Macedonia, one that values diversity, cooperation
and coexistence among its citizens. But if the coalition fails to carry out
significant reforms, the results will be catastrophic for Macedonia and the
region at large.

Attempts have been made by the Macedonian authorities to ease tensions
between the country's Slavic and Albanian ethnic groups. To a large extent,
these efforts have been too little too late. After a decade of Macedonian
independence, its Albanian citizens see themselves as second-class citizens
in their own country. Despite the fact that Macedonia is a nation of many
minority groups, with none representing an overwhelming majority, Slavic
Macedonians occupy more than 90 percent of public-sector jobs and make up
90 percent of the police force and 90 percent of the university student
population. Macedonian remains the only official language permitted, and
Albanian-language universities are denied public funding.

This state of affairs is untenable. Much effort went into forming the grand
coalition. Now it must step up and do grand things. The coalition must
demonstrate with actions instead of words, and in no uncertain terms, that
Macedonia is a truly multiethnic society that guarantees and respects the
rights of all.

Unfortunately, the present regime is unlikely to take that path unless it
receives both help and pressure from the West. Having led two international
peacekeeping efforts in the region -- in Croatia and Kosovo -- I am
convinced there is no substitute for high-level American involvement in
solving Balkan ethnic conflict. The visit of Secretary of State Colin
Powell to the region was significant and timely. But more must be done. The
United States should step up its involvement by hosting a Dayton-like
conference in which representatives of the coalition regime and all
important sectors come together with the goal of designing a reform package
to put Macedonia on the road to sustainable stability.

Such a conference will have limited success, however, if the international
community continues to reject all contact with the National Liberation Army
(NLA). We fear that to talk with the NLA somehow will "legitimize" a
violent group -- as if the NLA, with its cause, its popular support and its
guns needed such legitimacy. The international community should have
welcomed and built upon the recent agreement between Albanian political
leaders and the NLA brokered by U.S. diplomat Robert Frowick. Instead, the
agreement was condemned. History has shown that more often than not
combatants such as the NLA -- the Vietcong, those in the Middle East, in
Northern Ireland, the FMLN in El Salvador -- will not lay down their arms
if they are branded as "illegitimate" and excluded from negotiations. The
KLA in Kosovo is a further example. The international community is right to
denounce the tactics and violence of the NLA. But lasting peace in
Macedonia will be elusive unless the NLA is engaged, either through direct
talks or intermediaries.

Neither side in this crisis can win a military victory. The government's
efforts to do so will only drive more recruits into the ranks of the NLA.
Slobodan Milosevic acted on the basis of a similar miscalculation. In the
heat of the moment, the government, the NLA and the rest of us appear to
have lost sight of this fact. The NLA has offered to talk instead of fight.
Let's take it up on the offer, while working more closely with the
coalition regime.

Bold steps are needed immediately to prevent Macedonia from descending into
a cycle of tit-for-tat violence and ethnic hatred. Does anyone believe that
further shelling of Albanian villages and further killing of Albanian
civilians will convince Macedonians of Albanian ethnicity that the
government and the army welcome their presence and recognize their rights?

The writer is a retired career ambassador who headed a Kosovo mission of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.