Macedonia


AIM reporter from Skoje, Budo Vukobrat, discusses in his report of July 16, 1998, the situation in Macedonia created by the influx of refugees from Kosovo.

The question whether there are refugees from Kosovo in Mcedonia is the one creating greatest controversies in the most southern state created in the region of former Yugoslavia. The fact is that, the number of exiled people, mostly women and children in neighboring Albania, Montenegro, and within the Province itself is determined in tens of thousands. This all suggests that it is almost impossible, due to closeness and ties of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo with those in Macedonia, that the scared people did not seek refuge here. This is also confirmed by activities and statements of some representatives of humanitarian organizations. But, the official Macedonia still refuses to confirm that somebody from Kosovo has sought refuge in Macedonia. In this manner, the system represented itself as superior in many ways, even though the facts speak differently. This is then much worse for the facts themselves.

At the same time of the visit of German foreign minister Klaus Kinkel to Skopje, where he was speaking with Macedonian officials how they should react in case of larger influx of refugees from Kosovo and they were attempting to persuade him that there are no refugees from Kosovo in Macedonima, a practical denial of their words was being carried out in on of Skopje's suburbs. That afternoon, the humanitarian organization "El Hilal" from Tetovo was distributing aid to exiled Kosovo families in its Skopje office. A reporter of the local paper "Dnevnik" testified that the families would enter the said office, show their Yugoslav passport or some other document. After being regularly noted, they would get a certificate and would leave to get the most essential food and toiletries in nearby private store.

The refugees themselves were avoiding contacts with journalists, since they fear that public statements could bring them into an unpleasant situation with local authorities. The president of "El Hilal'" Abdurauf Pruthi insists that his organization has so far given aid to more than two hundred families in Skopje alone. Pruthi is of the opinion that there are more than one thousand people in Macedonia who have earned a status of a refugee. The respective Macedonian authorities have issued, in most cases, two or three month grants of stay with relatives or friends, ie, they treat them as guests.

Some other organizations, like "Mother Theresa" from Struga and Catholic "Caritas, " as well as the Red Cross have officially contacted the authorities, offering their own programs concerning placement and gathering of aid for the refugees. But, the Macedonian government stands firm at the position that there are no refugees. This is preventing the international humanitarian organizations to participate in giving aid the current refugees.

Practically, in that manner, numerous controversies concerning real and potential refugees from Kosovo have been continued, begun at the beginning of this year with President Glogorov's statement that Macedonia will secure a corridor to let the refugees pass to Albania. This statement has caused very fierce reactions in the public, particularly of the opposition parties, while since then, are showing absolute caution at only the mention of the refugees. A partial turnaround in the stance was caused by the pressure of the international community, first of all by German diplomacy. As Klaus Kinkel stated during his recent visit to Skopje, there are some 140,000 refugees from Kosovo in that country at the moment seeking political asylum. During the last month, they were joined by 2,800 new ones. As Kinkel stated, Germany has shown its humanity, but it is not in position anymore to subdue all political and social shocks in the Balkans. Due to this, future refugees from Kosovo, should at all costs stay in the region, first of all in Macedonia and Albania.

In spite of such a resolute stance by Germany, and probably its influential allies, independent circles in Macedonia have made attempts to persuade the authorities there to take a more flexible, or more precisely, more realistic stand towards the problem. According to some Macedonian opinion circles, somewhat curious stance of the government towards the refugees could be interpreted as its attempt to use the current situation to make a deal with the international community and to draw maximum profit out of a problem in the neighborhood.

But, there is also another opinion. From the beginning of the Kosovo crisis, the opposition in Macedonia is scaring the majority population in Macedonia with swarming of refugees from Kosovo, and in accordance with that, sudden rise of minority substance of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. According to official data, some 22,9 percent of the population is Albanian. The opposition, even some demographic experts are suggesting that the largest part of the refugees from Kosovo would use this opportunity to permanently settle in this country. This would lead to the disblance in the demographic balance and would lead unitary Macedonia into the slippery terrain of a dual national state and constitutional reconstruction. The current regime, supposedly, does not want that these speculations gain support directly ahead of the autumn parliamentary elections, so it does not want to admit that additional"Albanization" of Western Macedonia has begun.

Source: "AIM" news pool, July 16, 1998