Trying to Stay Clear of Nationalism:

Macedonian Shaky Peace in Albanian Media

 By Llazar Semini

Macedonian conflict, which has become a serious concern for the whole world, could not be sidelined in Albania for it shares a 137 km with the neighbouring state of Macedonia. Moreover the conflict is related to the status of Albanian population in Macedonia. All these factor made it quite natural for all Albanian media to pay special attention to the crisis development.

Nevertheless the conflict that came to the brink of a civil war has not lately been covering front-pages in Albania. The reason was not that difficult to find - Albania itself was involved in a war, but not an armed conflict as in Macedonia. It was a vote war between the two main political groupings in the country. The June 24 general elections were followed with four more rounds and with many a case brought to court in the country. Perhaps Albania tried to follow the example set by the United States, where the court decided on the president last year. But absence of developed political culture in Albania make any such comparison rather far-fetched.

Fortunately however, Albania did not follow in the footsteps of its neighbour Macedonia that resorted to weapons in the pursuit of crisis resolution.

• Extensive Coverage

Despite other events of interest to Albanians, the threatening Macedonian conflict has remained an always-present topic in the print and broadcast media. TV channels and radio stations have restrained from extensive commenting and stuck to reporting what was happening: any killing enraging population in the country or the stagnant situation in the peace talks for days despite heavy international involvement and special envoys touring the country. International efforts were re-paid at least as far as Albanian media were concerned: all actions related to peace negotiations were persistently and extensively covered.

Unlike the broadcast media the print had a normal coverage of all the daily events while regularly exploiting opinions, analyses or forecasts from different columnists or public personas on the situation.

All the newspapers have had at least one page devoted to Macedonian conflict every single day. It should be noted though that there was no explicitly nationalistic touch to press coverage - it did its best to stick to the stance of the international community, repeating time and again that the government in Tirana was in absolute harmony with the position and actions of international mediators. They have also continuously reported on the position of Macedonian government, with particular focus on the role played by Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski. And they did not remain silent on the presence of the extremist ethnic Albanian group Albanian National Army that was threatening potential peace.

The daily coverage featured news such as The Army Takes Revenge on Civilians, War Threatens the Peace Accord, short pieces with quotes from Trajkovski, Robertson, Georgievski, Crvenkovski, Xhaferri and Ymeri, the NATO position and policy, and, of course, the role of the United States in the whole process.

All the newspapers unaninonimously raised their voice when a bomb was set to the leading newspaper of Albanians in Macedonia Fakti. They frequently referred to Macedonian newspapers, reflecting their reactions and pessimistic note to discussions on a possible peaceful solution of the crisis. Macedonians Chose: War, wrote Rilindja Demokratike.

• Explicit Internationalism and a Touch of Nationalism

The threat of an imminent refugee crisis attracts a lot of attention in Albanian media. The visit of the UNHCR envoy Eric Morris was covered at length, and the media repeatedly reported on UNHCR efforts to arrange suitable accommodation in case of emergency. But the media never failed to stress the return of Macedonian Albanians back home as their only option. Memories of the flood of half a million Kosovo refugees two years ago are not rosy despite all the talk about 'ethnic fraternity'.

Given Albanian anxiety over another wave of refugees, signing of the peace accord in mid-August understandably seized front-pages of all the papers and sparked a series of commentaries. Press release by Albanian government held a very significant place in all reports. All the newspapers brought reactions by political parties, invariably hailing the agreement. But not a single one failed to warn how frail the truce really in the light of the fighting launched by both conflicting parties shortly after the accord had been signed. "After peace… the war continues," wrote one Albanian newspaper.

Albanian newspapers published at length the contents of the peace agreement and reactions of different Macedonian actors. Reactions by international actors as well major international media were given their special place as usual. Nor did the newspapers forget to publish comments and statements by other Albanian neighbours in the region, especially Greece and Turkey. But the very central place in all papers was reserved for photos of Albanian leaders and the Macedonian officials, especially Xhaferri and Georgievski, handshaking.

All the news and reports without exception denied any nationalistic trends in Albania, sending a message that there was not even so much as a thought of the Greater Albania, that Tirana government is far from being happy about yet another conflict in its troubled neighbourhood, despite the fact that it was to do with Albanian 'ethnic brethren'.

Nevertheless, a closer look suggests that Albanian media, despite their openly reconciliatory tone, firmly stand on the position that Skopje government compelled its Albanian citizens to resort to weapons in order to win their basic rights. There are slight hints, too, that the West did need to act differently and more urgently, not making the same mistake as in Bosnia or even Kosovo.

Media do however make a clear distinction between Macedonian government headed by Georgievski and Macedonian president. They use rather harsh words and openly accuse Georgievski as a nationalist and the main cause of the crisis. "Macedonian nationalistic leaders, the most distinguished is premier Georgievski, are pawns of their own vocabulary," writes an Albania paper in a commentary titled Peace in a Low Voice.

Media are aware - as well as most of Albanian public - that signing of the peace agreement was a first big step forward but also that much will depend on whether both sides will aim to observe it. Media hail the stand of the UCK fighters who constented to be disarmed. In an article titled Blocking Mechanisms of the Agreement, the author Agron Vojnika mentions that the shooting continues: "For the sake of the people and Macedonia, now more than ever, peoples should shake hand with each other and think of their state's interests, Macedonia's integration in Euro-Atlantic structures".

But Albanian press does not turn a blind eye to the fact that ethnic cleavages in Macedonia have deepened, and mutual trust seems lost. This is how the media account for "Albanians in Macedonia not feeling secure without the presence of NATO troops".

In this light, media bring commentaries such as that of Alfred Moisiu, a former deputy defence minister, who warns that total peace in the region is still far away with the presence of so much weaponry in all the countries around. But "what is more important is the disarming of the nationalist minds of the Macedonian politicians," he writes. "The cause that this state went to the bring of the civil war were not weapons but from the wrong nationalist pan-Slavic politics."

"Who is going to disarm Macedonian civilians," writes Shekulli newspaper in a similar tone, highlighting the fact that some 14,000 light weapons have been distributed among Macedonian population, and they present a continuous threat to the future. He reminds of Albanian shops or homes being burnt down in many a town and terror over Albanian population. The main threat to the peace and life together now comes from Macedonian paramilitaries, adds Shekulli.

An editorial in Koha Jone takes this even further: "An imaginary enemy is always necessary for a power with dictatorial ambition to keep alive and to maintain the nationalistic spirit… Executive structures of the state are far away from its balanced president Trajkovski." The newspaper further denounces attempts by prime minister Georgievski and his government to involve Albanian government in this conflict, and denies all accusations by Skopje that Tirana supports Albanian extremist fighters in Macedonia.

Koha Jone finally accuses Macedonian prime minister of re-directing the hatred of Macedonian Slav population somewhere else now that the peace agreement has been signed - that 'somewhere else' being Albania: ''Finding the enemy somewhere away from his country, importing the blame and efforts to testify it, if of course not that easy for the short-fused prime minister."

The general impression is though that media are trying to be balanced and impartial, and to stay clear of nationalism. In conclusion to any commentaries or reports, Albanian media refer back to the international community: "It would be good if Macedonian government observed international advice so that it comes back honourably from the brink of the civil war, leaving aside disorder...'' This is another clear sign that a peaceful, democratic and modern Balkan will hardly come about without help from outside.

Llazar Semini is a free lance journalist and IWPR correspondent from Tirana. ©Media Online 2001. All rights reserved.

source:  Media Online, August 27, 2001
published by: Roland Brunner rbr@medienhilfe.ch date of release on this site: 01-09-2001

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