Macedonia blames violence on “criminal groups” with no political agenda
Macedonia’s top security body, the National Security Council seemed to be worried about fresh appearances of armed militias in several regions of the country, but attributed the recent incidents to “criminal groups” which were believed to have no direct political agenda.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, November 01, 2007
"We should not underestimate the risk that over the coming period, somebody might try to exploit them in a political sense," Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski told reporters after the meeting.
The top-level meeting of Macedonia's high-ranking political and security officials followed last week's ambush of a police patrol in the northwestern part of country which led to the death of one officer and almost simultaneous appearance of "uniformed, armed groups" in remote, Albanian-dominated region near the regional hub of Tetovo in western Macedonia.
Security observations by Macedonian council were largely in line with recent statement by U.S. commander in neighboring Kosovo, General Douglas Erhardt, who described the activities and threats of shadowy Albanian National Army (AKSh) as "act of common thugs", rather than widespread political movement.
However, the raising tensions within the internationally monitored process aimed at solving the status of Kosovo could easily spill in Macedonia, boosting the already visible cracks in relations between the central government and the ethnic Albanian minority.
Months of relative stability in Macedonia were put to another serious test last week, as the country's constitutional court banned the use of Albanian flags in public buildings, raising fear of renewed tensions already seen in similar situation back in 1997.
