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Data

Minorities At Risk Project: Home    

Assessment for Albanians in Macedonia

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Macedonia Facts
Area:    25,713 sq. km.
Capital:    Skopje
Total Population:    2,009,000 (source: unknown, 1998, est.)

Risk Assessment | Analytic Summary | References



Risk Assessment

While there has been political violence in the past five years and peaceful protests continue, there is little risk of future rebellion by the Albanians in Macedonia. While 2001 brought ethnic tensions to a climax as a violent insurgency caused more than 170,000 ethnic Albanians and Macedonians to flee their homes, the Ohrid Framework Agreement provided a platform for accommodation of Albanian demands. Some interethnic tension occasionally erupts, but more prominent during 2004-2006 was intraethnic tension especially among competing Albanian political parties. The Framework Agreement may mitigate the other risk factors the group has for rebellion such as recent rebellion, recent repression, territorial concentration and group cohesion.

Although, the regime in Macedonia is a transitioning democracy, it has largely escaped the devastating violence that ravaged most of the rest of the former Yugoslavia. During the period from 2004-2006, the entire region was free of wide-scale violent conflict. The 2001 Macedonia violence was short-lived and ended in the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which allowed for a broad range of minority rights legislation to be enacted.

The risk of protests is higher than the risk of rebellion. While most discrimination against Albanians in Macedonia is informal, Albanians do have grievances. Other risks include the persistence and recent history of some government repression. Albanians in Macedonia receive rhetorical support from their kindred in Kosovo and Albania, though there was no evidence of other modes of support from these populations.

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Analytic Summary

The northwestern region of Macedonia, centered on the city of Tetovo, is the place where most Albanians live and where they make up the majority of the population (GROUPCON = 3). They speak Albanian , which differs in origin and language family from the majority language of Macedonian (LANG = 2). Albanians are traditionally Muslim, as opposed to Slavic Macedonians who are traditionally Eastern Orthodox (BELIEF= 2). The Albanians and Slavic Macedonians have a long history of coexistence, for the most part peaceful. During the times of the Yugoslav federation, the Macedonian Albanians had very close relationship with the ones in Kosovo, with Pristina being the regional cultural capital. When Macedonia became independent, in 1991, the Albanians started to demand more cultural and political rights, and the past decade has been marked by a slow progression toward the fulfillment of these demands (POLGR06 = 4; ECGR06 = 2; CULGR06 = 1).

The Albanians are organized politically and their representatives have been members of all post-communist governments in Skopje. They are also active at the local level. However, the Albanians are underrepresented in the state apparatus, in the military and the police. There are restrictions in regard to the education in Albanian, and some informal social prejudice against the practice of Islam. However, with the enforcement of the Framework Agreement, Albanian language schools now exist and Albanian language is allowed in Parliament (CULPO206 = 1).

The Albanians are very well organized. The first political parties claiming to speak for the minority appeared as soon as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began to dissolve. The Party of Democratic Prosperity, the Democratic Party of Albanians, the National Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance of Albanians are among the organizations that represent the Albanians in Macedonia (GOJPA06 = 3); some of them came to life as a consequence of a split within older parties, and most compete against each other for support of the Albanian minority in elections. Their messages range from inclusive and integrative to nationalist seeking autonomy. Albanians in Macedonia receive moral and rhetorical support from their ethnic kin in Kosovo and Albania, but there is no evidence of their support for separatism or rebellion. The Albanian political parties and the Macedonian government continue to negotiate agreements that would significantly improve the situation of the minority. There is progress towards the reduction of discriminatory acts and activities against the Albanians. At the very least, the situation is considerably better than it was in 2001.

The relationship of the Albanians to the Macedonian government is generally relatively constructive. Since the conflict in 2001 and its resolution through the Ohrid Framework Agreement, most conflict and tension has been worked out politically rather than through violence. However, there were recent low-level skirmishes reported between Macedonians and Albanians (INTERCON04-05 = 1) and some intracommunal conflict during 2006 elections between the Democratic Union for Integration and the Democratic Party of Albanians (INTRACON06 = 1). Albanians make up approximately 25 percent of the population of Macedonia, which makes it difficult for the government to exert unwarranted repression without a serious backlash from the Albanian population and the international community, which monitors the situation in Macedonia closely. However, raids and beatings of arrested Albanians continued to be reported (REPGENCIV04-06 = 4). Albanians are now members of the National Assembly and are increasingly employed as civil servants per the Ohrid Framework Agreement stipulations.

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References

Gow, James, and James Pettiler. 1993. "Macedonia: Handle with Care." Jane's Intelligence Review. 5: 387-388.

Lexis/Nexis. Various news reports. 1994-2006.

Mickey, Robert W., and Adam S. Albion. 1993. "Success in the Balkans? A Case Study of Ethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia." In Ian M. Cuthbertson and Jane Leibowitz, eds. Minorities: The New Europe's Old Issues. New York: Institute for EastWest Studies. 53-98.

Minority Rights Group. 2005. “ Macedonia Overview: Albanians.” World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. http://www.minorityrights.org/?lid=4025, accessed 01/27/09.

Perry, Duncan M. 6/1992. "Macedonia: A Balkan Problem and a European Dilemma". RFE/RL Research Report. 1.25 (19 June 1992): 35-45.

Perry, Duncan M. 4/1994. "Macedonia." RFE/RL Research Report. 3:16. 83-86.

Poulton, Hugh. 1991. The Balkans: Minorities and States in Conflict. London: Minority Rights Group.

Poulton, Hugh. 6/1993. "The Republic of Macedonia after UN Recognition." RFE/RL Research Report. 2:23. 22-30.

Republic of Macedonia Agency of Information. 8/13/2001. "Framework Agreement." Council of Europe. http://www.coe.int/t/e/legal_affairs/legal_co-operation/police_and_internal_security/OHRID%20Agreement%2013august2001.asp, accessed 5/15/2009.

Troebst, Stefan. 1/1994. "Macedonia: Powder Keg Diffused?" RFE/RL Research Report. 3.:4. 33-41.

US Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Macedonia. 2001-2007.

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Information current as of December 31, 2006