Situation in Macedonia - NATO Attacks in Yugoslavia

Peace Paid by War!?

AIM Skopje, 26 March, 1999

Yesterday, one thousand demonstrators stoned the American Embassy in Skopje. Having broken in through the fence, they set the doorman's booth on fire and vehicles at the parking lot in front of the building where the American flag was hoisted, not forgetting to set on fire a flag identical to the one in front of the Embassy, as well as a few American dollar notes in order to illustrate more plastically their attitude towards the greatest world force. These protests organised by the Democratic Party of the Serbs and the League of Communists of Macedonia, as a sign of protest because of NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia continued in front of the German and the British embassies. Aleksandar Palace Hotel where verifiers, humanitarian workers and foreign journalists who have left Kosovo a few days ago are staying was not spared either. Special Macedonian police forces prevented vandalism of the demonstrators who had intended to demolish the hotel and the buildings of the embassies. The only "victims" were the vehicles of OSCE and the motor pool of the American Embassy.

Dragisa Miletic, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbs sent a message to the world and citizens of Macedonia that "NATO must be driven out of the country" and that he and his followers would "not give up Kosovo and Macedonia". These messages and the aggressiveness of the demonstrators disturbed Macedonian public and made it clear that at the moment it was peaceful in Macedonia, but that it was on the verge of another Balkan turmoil. These demonstrations are even more an illustration of the measure of NATO presence in Macedonia and bombing of Yugoslavia. This measure is taken in different measuring units - depending on ethnic affiliation. It is not hard to reach the conclusion that this reflects the point where the greatest danger for internal peace in Macedonia lies

• the possibility of provoking local conflicts. In other words, it is no secret any more that ethnic Albanians support NATO troops and the attacks against Yugoslavia, that the Serbs and pro-Serb oriented ethnic Macdeonians say that they would readily die for their brethren and that they would "not give Kosovo up", and the rest who are not in any of these groups and who shut themselves up in their homes with the first twilight in order to watch the war episode in the north live on TV, and in the meantime increase their own "war reserves" of food. They do not know whether to believe the rumours that Milosevic is awaiting a convenient moment to "punish" Macedonia or the words of the officials that Macedonia is safe.

While in a letter addressed to Gligorov Clinton claims that "the USA will continue" to back him and Macedonia "in the difficult days that lay ahead" and prime minister Ljubco Georgievski underlines that "if reponsibility for humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo, according to the intrernational public rests with Milosevic, the responsibility for possible spilling over of the humanitarian crisis into Macedonia lies with the European Union and the USA", the people are listening to the noise of airplanes and declarations of Yugoslav officers who claim that a large number of missiles are arriving from Macedonia and Albania. They note the information that Milosevic has started to spread the conflict towards Albania by bombing the border villages. This is interpreted in Macedonia as a warning to all the neighbours who are "assisting" NATO and increases the feeling that Serb cannon barrels are not turned towards Macedonia for nothing.

In such a situation, officials are trying to pacify the public by claiming that there is no reason for panic and chaos, stressing that certain media are spreading anti-NATO disposition and disturbing the public. Prime minister of Macedonia even stressed that television stations Kanal 5, Sitel and A-1 acted disturbingly with no reason, even comparing them with media of FR Yugoslavia which is in a state of war. The media in fact reflect the division of the public. The media controlled by the ruling parties are protecting their "neutrality" by carrying CNN program and foreign agency news.

And the news are arriving every hour. Mostly from the regions hit by bombs and neighbouring countries which equally as Macedonia fear that the war may spread into the whole region. The Albanians from Macedonia are carefully weighing out statements of the officials from Albania aware that spilling of the war over towards Tirana marks definitely the beginning of "the war of all the Albanians" against Yugoslavia and at the same time lighting of the fuse on the famous Balkan powder keg. Aware of that, reasonable people rightfully stress that the most important thing is to forget ethnic disagreements in Macedonia, that every possible effort should be invested into stability and preservation of the country; that harmony among the citizens must be preserved regardless whether this is the moment when Milosevic has finally succeeded in putting the destiny of all the Balkan nations at stake. Indeed, everything is uncertain nowadays, except one thing: that this century is ending just as it started - with a war in the Balkan and that the West is with bombs trying to tame those who are blinded by hatred for everything that does not bare their ethnic and religious prefix. And the degree of such self-deception and intemperance is neither small nor harmless in Macedonia.

Indeed, even now when the language of bombs and war cries have begun, it is necessary to create space which would enable the human voice of reason to be heard. It should not be forgotten either that the bombs also take innocent victims who Milosevic has never consulted how to solve the problem of Kosovo. The situation is most difficult for the people in Kosovo. News are arriving from there that combats continue more severely than before, that the Serb military is holding more than twenty thousand refugees under siege, that it keeps firing at Albanian homes, that it is taking mass retaliation measures against those who have "invited NATO", that the war is severe because it is also the most difficult test of humaneness, the test that the Balkan has several times failed and this is perhaps its last chance for amendment.

In the moments when the price is paid for ethnic animosities and ethnic hatred which has acquired institutional dimensions in Yugoslavia, the media carry analyses of foreign war experts that Milosevic has studied well the Vietnam war, the "Desert Storm" in the Persian Gulf, and that he is aware that the USA and NATO will not risk such a large number of victims in relation to the set objectives. They say that he is capable of sacrificing his whole nation and the entire Balkan just in order to stay in power. There is no doubt that the violent demonstrations such as the ones in Skopje only stimulate him in his intention, because they express not only the justified concern of Macedonian Serbs for the destiny of their compatriots who are living in fear of bombing, but also because they wish to involve Macedonia in the turmoil of war and give their contribution to the war.

Having this in view, more than ten non-governmental civil organizations in Macedonia in their statement for the public "For Preservation of Stability of the Republic of Macedonia" state that "the primary interest of the citizens of Macedonia is preservation of peace and stability of their country and its dignified survival in these difficult moment". They also stress that "this cannot be achieved by spilling over the problem of Kosovo into Macedonia" that this "cannot be achieved by unrest, demonstrations and violence against journalists, humanitarian workers and foreign diplomatic representatives" among other "because a significant part of our present stability we owe to assistance and support which the Republic of Macedonia receives from the international community". More than twenty large and relevant nongovernmental and civic organizations end their statement with the conclusion that "to the offered piece of bread, an irresponsible group of our citizens has responded with stones". When speaking of dignity, primarily for the sake of truth, it should be stressed that in Macedonia, if ethnic Albanians are excluded, there has been no demonstrations which would condemn the crimes committed by the Serb army in Kosovo. And for the sake of that truth it must be underlined that the Macedonian government (except for the day when the border was closed for all citizens who had Yugoslav passport) had a fair attitude toward refugees from Kosovo. But, even after the beginning of bombing of military targets in Yugoslavia, borders have remained open but deserted: refugees are not coming. Some say that this is because the Serb army is holding them as hostages. And that same army is killing and taking hostages among Albanian intellectuals in order to leave this people on the devastated land with nobody to lead it.

AIM Skopje

KIM MEHMETI