Archive for the month of April 2008

OSCE mission to Macedonia

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will deploy an election observation mission to Macedonia. The mission -- following an invitation from Macedonia's foreign minister -- will commence May 6 and will include monitoring of campaign activities, the polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots.

Greece blocks financial transactions with Macedonia

Greece banned all money transfers to and from Macedonia. According Western Union's Director Marku said the problems were documents that note the name of the country Macedonia.

Macedonia’s President Branko Crvenkovski responded to the recent incidents saying that retaliatory steps would not benefit Macedonia.

Serbia-EU agreement angers war victims

The SAA agreement between Serbia and the EU led to protests from victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. They accused the EU of failing to live up to its own principles. Serbia has failed to arrest war crimes fugitives like Ratko Mladic.

Macedonian plane not allowed to enter Greek airspace

Macedonian Air Transport plane was barred by Greece from entering Greek airspace while en route to Egypt. It landed in Turkey.

Due to Greek objections to the name of the company, MAT said the flight was registered under a different name.

Macedonia’s chief negotiator in the name dispute with Greece will hold talks with the UN mediator in New York. The EU and the US have urged both countries to resolve the name issue.

Trial started against former Milosevic aides

The UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague began the trial against Stanisic, chief of Milosevic's secret police during the 1990s war, and Franko Simatovic, in charge of the secret police Special Operations.

Stanisic was charged with creating a large covert fighting force under the Ministry of Interior and regularly moved ahead of military columns to terrorize, expel and kill thousands of non-Serb civilians to secure more lands for Serbs only.

Stanisic is not in court due to kidney problems and a severe depression and a video link to his prison is used.

Bosnian war crimes court sentences three

The Bosnian war crimes court in Sarajevo sentenced Mirko Todorovic and Milos Radic to 17 years each for war crimes against Bosnian Muslim civilians during the 1992-1995 war. They were found guilty of taking in killing 8 of 14 Muslims in eastern Bosnia in May 1992.

The court also sentenced Pasko Ljubicic, a Bosnian Croat military police commander, to 10 years in prison over the persecution of Bosnian Muslim civilians in the village of Ahmici in April 1993, after he pleaded guilty.

Serbia signs Stabilization and Association Agreement with EU

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and EU foreign ministers gathered in Luxembourg signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA).

To satisfy demands by Belgium and the Netherlands the EU ministers agreed the pact would not come into effect until Serbia cooperated fully with the war crimes court in The Hague. Also, progress needs to be made on fighting corruption. Serbia stressed that it did not mean Belgrade had given up its sovereign rights over Kosovo.

Kosovo ex-minister before UN tribunal

Kosovo’s ex-minister for culture, youth and sport and a former newspaper will appear before the UN International Criminal Tribunal after being charged with contempt of court for allegedly trying to intimidate a witness in a war crimes trial. Astrit Haraqija and Bajrush Morina are accused of attempting to persuade a protected witness not to testify against Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo's former prime minister.

Weapons intercepted in Kosovo at Macedonia border

Near Zegra, Kosovo police intercepted a car traveling from Kosovo to Macedonia carrying weapons and ammunition. Amongst the weapons were high-caliber weapons and ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and anti-aircraft machine guns. Four Kosovo Albanians were arrested.

Kosovo and Macedonia are attempting to settle a border dispute concerning some 5,000 acres given to Macedonia in 2001 by Serbia. Kosovo claims that Serbia had no control over the territory and no right to give it to Macedonia.

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