"After Bitola, there are indications that similar disturbances will take place in Bit-Pazar in Skopje. The incidents were planned for May 2, but that was postponed. These planned incidents were postponed one more time yesterday. Initially they were supposed to start after the end of a soccer match in Skopje. The plans were foiled by the order for postponement of all sport competitions. The plan for causing incidents is still 'on'. The plan, besides the breaking of shop windows, includes the setting on fire of stores owned by Albanians," claim our sources, which requested to remain anonymous.
The most recent statement issued by the UCK claimed that on May 2 fighters of the 113rd Brigade Ismet Jashari in Lipkovo captured Macedonian nationals Romeo Zivic, who is allegedly the leader of a paramilitary group in the village of Matejce, and Momir Petrusevski, both of them from Kumanovo.
"There are no active paramilitary groups in Macedonia; however, there are indications and attempts to form such groups. We are working on prevention of the formation of such groups and these days we shall clear up these cases," stated the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
These days the paramilitary organization "Todor Aleksandrov" also made an announcement. According to sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this group has taken responsibility for the incident in the sweet shop "Palma".
After terrorist actions in Tanusevci and Tetovo, some Macedonian media carried a statement of Ivan Atanasovski, who claims to be a general of the group of so-called "Macedonian Lions", which, according to him, have no connections with the eponymous group formed by VMRO-DPMNE ten years ago. This group was founded based on the example of Arkan's "Tigers" and "Bosniak Lilies". The group has about 500 members, some of whom used to work for the German special police force and were trained in a special center.
An anonymous citizen has contacted our daily. He introduced himself as a former French Foreign Legion member. He claimed that there is another military group, the so-called "Gray Bird", which has between 2,600 and 2,700 well armed members stationed in four cities in Macedonia. The main center of that group is in the French city of Lyon. The group planned to assassinate Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski if he did not resign within 48 hours. It also planned to assassinate the leader of the DPA, Arben Xhaferi.
The article published as early as April 27 in the Dutch daily "Volkskrant" claimed that the supporters of the "Vardar" soccer club, "Komite", displayed signs saying "Macedonian National Front". On the other hand, in Struga fliers with threats against the ethnic Albanian minority were distributed. According to the author of the article, according to rumors "Komite" were financed by the VMRO.
The author of the article met the man named Aeksandar Kolevski, who introduced himself as the leader of the group. He wore a leather jacket with the sign "Macedonian National Front" on the back and was not armed. "Next time I'll take you to the forest where we train," he said to the journalist during their meeting in front of the "Komite" office in the center of Skopje. He also showed photographs of a group of armed individuals saying that "they were helping soldiers on the border".
Kolevski said that he had come to Macedonia from the German city of Cologne. According to him, politicians cannot resolve anything at this point. "Albanians have shown their true face," he said.
by S.T.
"The court reached a fair verdict," stated lawyer Llimani. He announced an appeal to a higher court, as the case was concluded without his client. The authorities will automatically issue an international arrest warrant for Xhavid Hasani.
Besides the prison sentence, the court abolished the $100,000 bail paid by Hasani upon his release from custody. The money will be paid into the national budget. The president of the judicial council stated that he abolished the bail because Hasani had not attended the hearings regularly and was out of reach of judicial institutions.
Hasani was charged with an attempted murder of a policeman and construction workers who were demolishing his illegally constructed building, early last year. Hasani shot from a machine gun at the people who were demolishing his house, gravely injuring one of the workers. The Police later arrested Hasani, but the court released him from custody on a $100,000 bail. Hasani is linked to the controversial kidnapping of four Macedonian soldiers by extremists from Kosovo, in April 2000. Extremists exchanged the soldiers in return for the release of Hasani from custody on a $100,000 bail.