Global Policy Forum

Security Council Condemns Violence

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M2 Presswire
March 8, 2001

The Security Council this evening strongly condemned the recent violence by armed ethnic Albanian extremists in the north of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and in particular the killing of three soldiers from that country in the Tanusevci area.


In a presidential statement read by Council President Volodymyr Yel'chenko (Ukraine), the Council described the events as a threat to the stability and security not only of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but also of the region. It called on all political leaders in the former Yugoslav Republic and in Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to isolate the forces behind all violent incidents and shoulder their responsibility for peace and stability in the region.

The Council expressed support for actions taken by the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic to address the violence with an appropriate level of restraint, and to preserve political stability and foster harmony between all ethnic components of its population. Steps taken by the international security presence - KFOR - to control the border between the Kosovo region and the former Yugoslav Republic were welcomed, as was ongoing dialogue between KFOR and the former Yugoslav Republic on practical steps to address the immediate security situation and to prevent extremists from crossing the border.

Prior to the statement, in a separate meeting, the Council heard a briefing by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Srgjan Kerim, on the current situation, and his Government's response

He warned that the Tanusevci incident was not only about the village or the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but about the transformation of the Balkans into a peaceful, stable, democratic and prosperous European region. The current situation was a serious test for the international community. In order to be effective, Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) must be fully implemented. KFOR must act according to its basic mandate - to prevent spillover effects and to secure the northern border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from the Kosovo side.

He outlined the main elements of the Macedonian Government's proposed action plan to resolve the situation, including cooperation with KFOR to ensure the full observance of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). He assured the Council that his country's peaceful policy and the philosophy behind it - based on inter-ethnic balance among other principles - would continue. The fact that Macedonian security forces had not intervened in a proportional way was not a matter of political tactics, but one of deepest conviction.

In the ensuing discussion, Council members unanimously condemned the violence perpetrated by ethnic Albanian extremists, affirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and commended that country's Government for the restraint it had shown and for its plans to address the situation.

The representative of the Russian Federation said his country was especially concerned about new reports of the coordinated nature of actions by Albanian groups. The international community must draw a lesson from those events, which arose as a result of supporting separatists, who were not interested in dialogue, but sought to achieve nationalist ends through force. Extremists in Kosovo must be disarmed, and KFOR must close the border to prevent the transfer of weapons from Kosovo. The current problems were the fruits of aiding and abetting the flouting of the arms embargo in Kosovo, he stated.

The United Kingdom's representative said the Council welcomed the dialogue between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and KFOR on practical steps to address the situation. Minister Kerim's forthcoming visit to NATO would be important in putting into operation the proposals he had presented to the Council. The presidential statement should be seen as a clear message that the violence would not be tolerated.

The representative of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia said the escalation of ethnic Albanian terrorism now threatened the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the broader security of the region. Yugoslavia faced the same problems on its side of the border. Only this afternoon, an army vehicle had run over a landmine planted by Albanian extremists in southern Serbia. It had been detonated by remote control and killed three soldiers. Another was still fighting for his life.

Responsibility for the situation in Kosovo lay squarely on KFOR and the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), as established in Council resolution 1244 (1999).

Demilitarization of Albanian armed groups had clearly not been carried out.

Albania's representative said his Government had repudiated and renounced the behaviour of the ethnic Albanian terrorist group. In its view, such acts of violence ran contrary to the interests of all Albanians, and served to deprive them of the international support and sympathy they had won during the war in Kosovo. His Government called on all Albanian parties to distance themselves from all violent acts, whoever the perpetrators were. It was committed to the democratic stability of the the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the whole region.

Statements here also made by the United States, France, China, Singapore, Jamaica, Norway, Ireland, Tunisia, Colombia, Mali, Mauritius, Ukraine, Sweden (speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Bulgaria, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Turkey.


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