Ethnic Albanians, police exchage fire in Macedonia

A former ethnic Albanian guerrilla leader said Friday his men had a short exchange of gunfire with police. The officers then allegedly retreated from Tanusevci, which BIRN describes in its report from Skopje as "secession-minded" village near Macedonia's border with Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians, police exchage fire in Macedonia Xhezair Shakiri, who was known as "Commander Hoxha" during the 2001 armed conflict in Macedonia, told local media Friday that police retreated from the mountain village on the border with Kosovo he claims to control. The 2001 fighting between the Macedonian security forces and ethnic Albanian guerillas started when the guerillas took over Tanusevci and proclaimed it as “liberated territory." The conflict ended later that year with a peace accord that gave greater rights to ethnic minorities in the country. Police officials refused to comment on Shakiri’s claims, instead saying in a prepared statement: “The police are regularly practicing their everyday activities on the whole territory of the country.” “We have information that around ten shots from automatic weapons have been heard from the area of Tanusevci, but we do not know who fired them,” police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told Balkan Insight. Local A1 TV cited people claiming they witnessed a third version of events. These people said Shakiri and his armed group fired shots from grenade launchers and personal weapons into the air, and that police did not return fire. Shakiri last week challenged the central government when he said that villagers in Tanusevci want to unite with Kosovo. He said in an interview that the Macedonian police are not welcome in the village. Shakiri also accused Macedonian authorities of disinterest in his village’s problems and of leaving the community “in the hands of destiny.” “That is why we ask for the unification with Kosovo. Furthermore, our geographic position and family bonds tie us to that country,” Shakiri said. Shakiri is a former deputy to the Macedonian parliament who is charged with kidnapping the former mayor of the municipality of Studenicani during the 2001 armed conflict. He refuses to face the charges and claims that he is being framed by the police. The largest ethnic Albanian opposition party formed by the former guerrilla fighters, Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, held an emergency meeting that lasted late into Thursday night to discuss mounting friction with the police. DUI Vice President Teuta Arifi said after the meeting that Macedonian authorities are harassing the former guerrilla fighters. For example, DUI members contend that party president Ali Ahmeti’s bodyguard was questioned and searched for illegal weapons recently.

Ethnic Albanians, police exchage fire in Macedonia

Xhezair Shakiri, who was known as "Commander Hoxha" during the 2001 armed conflict in Macedonia, told local media Friday that police retreated from the mountain village on the border with Kosovo he claims to control.

The 2001 fighting between the Macedonian security forces and ethnic Albanian guerillas started when the guerillas took over Tanuševci and proclaimed it as “liberated territory."

The conflict ended later that year with a peace accord that gave greater rights to ethnic minorities in the country.

Police officials refused to comment on Shakiri’s claims, instead saying in a prepared statement: “The police are regularly practicing their everyday activities on the whole territory of the country.”

“We have information that around ten shots from automatic weapons have been heard from the area of Tanuševci, but we do not know who fired them,” police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told Balkan Insight.

Local A1 TV cited people claiming they witnessed a third version of events. These people said Shakiri and his armed group fired shots from grenade launchers and personal weapons into the air, and that police did not return fire.

Shakiri last week challenged the central government when he said that villagers in Tanuševci want to unite with Kosovo.

He said in an interview that the Macedonian police are not welcome in the village. Shakiri also accused Macedonian authorities of disinterest in his village’s problems and of leaving the community “in the hands of destiny.”

“That is why we ask for the unification with Kosovo. Furthermore, our geographic position and family bonds tie us to that country,” Shakiri said.

Shakiri is a former deputy to the Macedonian parliament who is charged with kidnapping the former mayor of the municipality of Studeničani during the 2001 armed conflict.

He refuses to face the charges and claims that he is being framed by the police.

The largest ethnic Albanian opposition party formed by the former guerrilla fighters, Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, held an emergency meeting that lasted late into Thursday night to discuss mounting friction with the police.

DUI Vice President Teuta Arifi said after the meeting that Macedonian authorities are harassing the former guerrilla fighters.

For example, DUI members contend that party president Ali Ahmeti’s bodyguard was questioned and searched for illegal weapons recently.