Albanian rebels open another battle front

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, MARCH 10. Yet another secessionist war in the Balkans along the border between the provinces of Kosovo, Serbia and Macedonia is being waged by ethnic Albanian guerillas.

Lord Robertson, Secretary General of NATO, said on Thursday, ``NATO is determined that those extremist elements seeking to sow instability or to advance their political agenda by violent means will be stopped, whether in southern Serbia, in the former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia or within Kosovo''. He reiterated that NATO would endeavour to bring lasting peace, security and stability to the Balkans.

In the past two weeks, NATO forces in the region have been increased and patrolling has been intensified.

According to estimates, over 20 per cent of the Macedonian population is of ethnic Albanian stock. It is also ironical to note that Serb troops may be deployed in the ``ground safety zone'' which was created by the NATO alliance in 1999 after the Kosovo war against the then President, Mr. Slobodan Milosevic's regime in Yugoslavia.

Now that Mr. Milosevic is no longer in power, the Western military alliance is in the process of establishing ``working and cordial'' relations with the new Serb Government. Hence, Serb military cooperation is sought to maintain peace in the Balkan region.

Extremist and Islamic fundamentalist factions of the ethnic Albanian community in the region have often clamoured for the creation of a ``Greater'' Albanian.

The Serb forces, according to NATO officials, may ``act professionally'' in the region and could even pave the way for Serbia to take control of the buffer zone.

In recent days, ethnic Albanians have launched guerilla attacks against local Serbs who are predominantly Orthodox Christians.

This is the part of southern Serbia where Orthodox Christians and Islamic Albanians live in close proximity and hence it is described as politically and ethnically ``fragile''. NATO has insisted that both sides immediately agree to a ceasefire.

NATO officials are holding close consultations with Macedonian authorities.

Macedonia's Foreign Minister, Mr Srgjan Kerim, arrived on Friday at the NATO headquarters here to participate in a meeting of North Atlantic Council. NATO remains ``deeply concerned'' over the recent violence and commended Serb and Macedonian officials for their ``measured response to violent provocations on their sovereign territory.''

European Union Governments are watching the unfolding scenario in the Balkans with trepidation. Kosovo, with a land area of 4,203 sqm, has a population of over 20 lakhs, most of whom are Albanian in origin.

There is also a prosperous minority of over one lakh Serbs. When Yugoslavia was a federation of communist states, Kosovo enjoyed the status of an autonomous province within the Serbian republic. Twelve years ago, when Mr. Milosevic came to power, he revoked Kosovo's regional autonomy.

The Albanians of Kosovo are predominantly Muslims and their political demands have varied from full independence to restoration of regional autonomy.

In March 1997, the then U.S. Secretary of State, Ms Madeline Albright, travelled to major European capitals to drum up support for a coordinated Western initiative to contain the crisis in Kosovo. This culminated in the meeting of Ministers from the 15 European Union countries, the U.S. and Russia.

Albania is one of Europe's smallest and poorest countries - less than a quarter the size of Tamil Nadu, with a population of some 35 lakhs - seventy-five per cent of whom are Muslim and the rest Orthodox Christians.

For many post-war years, Albania's only claim to fame was that it was the first client state of communist China, as Albania followed the dictates of Chairman Mao with fanatical zeal.

In background of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the eclipse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Albania, like most other east European dictatorships, pursued market reforms and a sort of democratic way of life. By early 1991, Albania was again in a state of chaos.

Since then, thousands of young Albanians have migrated to the U.S. and West European countries.

In the neighbouring Kosovo, the unemployment rate is high - over 60 per cent. There is a deep ethnic and religious divide between Albanians and the ruling Serbs.

It is often argued that the Albanians throughout the region of Kosovo and Macedonia should accept that local autonomy is all that the international community will support as changing territorial boundaries in this part of the Balkans could be both dangerous and impractical and this is also the message from NATO.

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Section  : International
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