[Prishtina-E] Today's Articles on Albanian Issues, August 28, 2001

[National Albanian American Council - NAAC]

National Albanian American Council
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Email: naac at naac.org
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For Your Information
August 28, 2001

Macedonian Pilgrims Behind Rebel Lines; NATO Wary
By REUTERS
SKOPJE, Macedonia (Reuters) - Macedonians driven out of guerrilla-held territory returned in convoy Tuesday for a religious holiday despite warnings of land mines, raising tensions as NATO tried to collect weapons from ethnic Albanian rebels.
But a Reuters reporter who arrived in the village of Lesok with the convoy said no mines or Albanian guerrillas were in sight and the Macedonians were having emotional reunions with the few compatriots still clinging to their homes.
British paratroopers stood guard anyway, pointing heavy machine guns up at nearby hills to deter any threat from the rebels.
Just days ago, the Lesok area was swarming with guerrillas. But by Tuesday they appeared to be lying low as part of a disengagement-of-forces pact NATO struck with both sides to improve security along front lines for its weapons collectors.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission in Macedonia had appealed to the refugees not to make the journey, saying the Lesok area could be mined and confrontations with Albanians, armed or not, could occur.
Western officials were also concerned by the presence of ultra-nationalists from the World Macedonian Congress in the Assumption Day pilgrimage to Lesok.
The 10-bus convoy entered the village as NATO troops on a mountain above prepared to gather up more weapons surrendered by the guerrillas in exchange for improved minority rights, under a precarious Western-mediated bargain.
Many of the Macedonians in the convoy said they not only wanted to pray at the monastery but also to inspect the homes they fled, saying they feared for their lives.
``There's been a lot of looting so this time I'm planning to load anything that's left at my house onto a tractor and bring it back to Skopje where I'm living temporarily with my heavily pregnant daughter-in-law,'' said Blagoja Bogdanovski, 50.
``But we can't live like this indefinitely. We have to go home,'' he told Reuters.
NATO MISSION UNPOPULAR IN MACEDONIA
Most Macedonians regard NATO's mission with skepticism or resignation, but others with deep animosity.
A British soldier died Monday after a chunk of concrete was thrown through his vehicle windshield, an attack that hinted at the angry conviction of some Macedonians that NATO's plan to collect only guns volunteered by the rebels is a sham.
The soldier's death was a sobering reminder of the risks to NATO's ``Operation Essential Harvest.'' But its commanders launched the first day of arms collections unperturbed and pronounced it a success with more than 400 weapons registered.
NATO hopes to have reaped a third of its total target of 3,300 weapons by Wednesday to give political impetus for Macedonia's parliament to start passing reform legislation when it reconvenes Friday.
The NATO mission aims to snuff out Macedonia's six-month-old ethnic conflict, so far confined to the far north, before it spreads into the sort of war that wrecked many parts of the former Yugoslavia over the past decade.
Nationalist hawks led by Macedonia's prime minister and interior minister believe the disarmament operation is a farce and that NATO's target figure only skims the surface of the rebel arsenal easily replenished by smuggling from Kosovo.
PRESIDENT OFFERS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
But President Boris Trajkovski, a moderate in a divided coalition government, said after being briefed by NATO on the first day of arms collecting that it was a crucial aspect of the peace process and Macedonians should cooperate with it.
``NATO's assistance expresses the commitment of many countries to help Macedonia resolve its problems. It is expected to successfully complete its mission to provide basic conditions for bringing long-term peace to the citizens of Macedonia,'' he was quoted by state news agency MIA as saying.
But another potential flashpoint looms Thursday with displaced Macedonians reported to be planning a protest rally in the capital Skopje on the eve of parliament's session.
The August 13 peace accord will stand or fall on whether the nationalist-dominated chamber is ready to change the constitution and pass the new legislation it stipulates.
The deal aims to decentralize power, put ethnic Albanians into the police force in proportion to their share of the population and grant limited official status to the Albanian language, among other measures.
NATO insists most Macedonians are not hostile to its mission and points out that its task force is there at the invitation of the government.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson will visit Macedonia Wednesday to inspect the operation, and besides talking with mission commanders will also seek to reassure political leaders.
``Lord Robertson has come down here many times at many phases of this process and has a personal interest in seeing peace come back to Macedonia,'' said spokesman Major Barry Johnson.
But many Macedonians see NATO as having sided with ethnic Albanian guerrillas in neighboring Kosovo during the 1998-99 war there and believe it has failed to stem a flow of weapons and personnel to the Albanians from Kosovo.
NATO counters that its peacekeepers in Kosovo have detained 750 suspected insurgents since clamping down along the porous border in June. The KFOR peace force said Tuesday it had detained 180 suspects since Friday alone.

KOSOVALIVE
Meetings With Families of Missing Serbs Aims to Eliminate Private Prison "Rumors," Says Haekkerup
PRISHTINA (KosovaLive) - A meeting was held between Kosova's Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic and families of missing Serbs, aimed at the elimination of "rumors" of Serbs held in private prisons, or as slaves in Kosova. Covic's visit with Haekkerup Friday in Prishtina, as well as meetings scheduled for this week, were a main topic of discussion at the Interim Administrative Council (IAC) Monday.
At the regular IAC meeting, developments in Prizren with regards to last week's demonstrations were also addressed.
After the meeting, Haekkerup told reporters that any rumors of private prisons or mass graves in Kosova would be immediately investigated. 
Haekkerup reported that the establishment of a Serb representation in Kosova in order to facilitate communication between the Serbian government and Kosovar Serbs was discussed at the six hour-long meeting.
Ibrahim Rugova, President of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK), agreed with Haekkerup that the meeting with Covic was "quite constructive and positive," and that Belgrade had a role to play in the re-integration of Kosovar Serbs into the institutional structure in Kosova.
According to Rugova, Haekkerup could maintain some contact with Belgrade in specific cases. However, Rugova opposed the idea that Belgrade "interfere in Kosovar politics because this is unacceptable even according to international documents."
Arsim Bajrami, Vice-President of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said that he wished to avoid a comparison of crimes committed by Serbia during the war and violence committed after the war in Kosova. "Sometimes a comparison is made between these two," he said.
According to Bajrami, Haekkerup told IAC members that progress had been made in the humanitarian issue, and promised the prompt release of Albanian prisoners.
Muhamet Kelmendi, Vice-President of the Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), disagreed with the idea that Serbia could participate equally in the resolution of any Kosovar issue. 
"According to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, it is the U.N.'s responsibility, through UNMIK and KFOR, to address security, order and any other matter concerning Kosova. The formation of any other party equal to the international community is unacceptable to the AAK," said Kelmendi.
Haekkerup denied journalists' questions implying that such frequent meetings with Covic (they are to met again as early as next week) could be seen as the initiation of a Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue in the interest of deciding Kosova's future. He replied that a dialogue does exist, but only in "trying to solve some of the problems that are common to Kosovo and Serbia." 
Haekkerup repeated that UNMIK would not accept the establishment of parallel structures in Kosova. "UNMIK is [the only one] responsible for the civil administration in Kosovo and will not share that with anyone."
LDK head Ibrahim Rugova suggested that the Haekkerup-Covic meetings were not negotiations but "an effort by Belgrade to help Kosovar Serbs integrate into Kosovar society."
Regarding developments in Prizren after clashes between protestors and police forces, following a municipal assembly decision to halt the construction of two KLA war statues, Haekkerup confirmed that all IAC members supported the decision made by the municipal assembly in Prizren, as something done legally, and completely within their own authority. "Therefore, there are no reasons why IAC would interfere."
"We should learn to respect the decisions of the majority in the democratic institutions of Kosova," Rugova said. According to Rugova, no one was against the construction of the statues but the assembly thought it better to construct a larger complex, taking into account the specific demands and circumstances of the city. 
Rugova said he would support a decision made by the assembly in Prizren, "a decision which would respect the conditions and norms. because with pressure we would be working against the democratic institutions." "UNMIK is determined to respect the democratically [elected] institutions and also teach us how to respect them," he said.
PDK representative Bajrami said that he was in favor of a reasonable solution, "which would take into consideration the legality of the Assembly, but also the legitimate demands of the people."
According to Bajrami, the majority of the IAC members asked the Prizren assembly to make a decision which would incorporate statues of Ismet Jashari (Commander Kumanova), Xhevat Berisha, and Ekrem Rexha (Commander Drini), and the municipality's plan for a memorial complex. 
"This would be in the interest of everyone, as well as in the interest of Kosova, which now requires calm and political stability, because it is preparing for the elections and the installment of democracy at the highest institutional level," said Bajrami.

RADIO 21
Tomorrow begins the reconstruction of "Northern" Line, Kukës-Durrës
Tomorrow sees the start of works to improve the "Northern" Line of Communication through Kukes to Durres in Albania, a UNMIK spokesman said. This is an important development for the region. It comes as a result of lengthy negotiations with the Albanian Ministry of Transportation. The represents a significant financial commitment by NATO, which is fully funding the first tranche of works at a cost of DM 930 000. There are seven projects in the first tranche of works, which is expected to be completed before the onset of winter. And finally, after a somewhat protracted deployment phase, the forces of the Operational Rehearsal, RAPID CHEETAH are now all in theatre. E Company of the 24th MEU took over from elements of the Polish / Ukraine Battalion at Camp Seminole yesterday. They will be joined, in their allocated Area of Responsibility, by the rest of the force and begin to conduct framework operations in the next 24 -48 hours.
Meta: Fight against trafficking is one of three priorities set by Albanian Government
Albanian Premier Ilir Meta stated that Albania without committing to the fight against organised crime and trafficking can not continue to play that important and constructive role it has played so far, in Vlore on Friday. "Regional co-operation in fight against organised crime and all kinds of trafficking, is one of the three priorities set by the government besides consolidation of regional integration and progress of the Stabilisation and Association Process, Meta said. The Prime Minister emphasised the indispensability of a closer and more sincere cooperation with all countries, in order that the responsibility does not fall unjustly on one country alone, as it occurs with Albania. He highlighted the readiness of the government he runs to take over the responsibility as regards facing this fight.
Meta stated that indices of illegal emigrants trafficking in one year have reduced more than five times, confirmed also by the data submitted by Italian partners. He informed the participants to have asked closer collaboration from the Region's and EU states, being also the destination countries. The Regional Centre of Fight Against Trafficking is part of this collaboration, already materialised with the agreement reached amongst Ministers of Interior of Albania, Italy, Germany and Greece that will soon become operational.

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