Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 16:00:47 -0600
Subject: Albania report (eng)


il manifesto       March 9, 1997

The Rebels' Government

Tommaso DiFranco - Correspondent in Saranda

Yesterday morning, the autonomous city council of Saranda, the political
organization that has had power in this region of the south of Albania for
a week, in light of the news of a violation of the truce on the part of the
military forces loyal to Sali Berisha, apparently ready to attack, have
decided to evacuate women, the elderly, children, and the injured. 800
people have already arrived at the Greek port of Igumenitza - and many have
also been sent back, hundreds are arriving right now in Corf=F9. Only the
Greek Albanians can get a long visa to stay on Greek soil.

The scenario in which this crisis is unwinding is at least peculiar: in the
sea lanes in the large bay that divides Saranda from the next door neighbor
Greek island of Corf=F9, the US Navy heli-carrier Nashville is at anchor
offshore, and seven days ago, just as the crisis had begun, the large
aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt arrived, departing only three days ago.

The people who are frantically leaving paid only the price of the ticket
this time, if they did not make the voyage for free: the "political" price
has been decided by the self-government of the city that has abolished the
racketeering for sea voyages, which until only 10 days ago had been sort of
a set tax. The borders are closed, all sea transport of people is illegal.
But everything is functioning regularly: essential services, the lights,
not the public telephones, but the private lines are rented at a reasonable
price: in a few days, the Council of the self-government has reorganized
the civil life after the removal from power of the major figures from the
Democratic Party. Now everyone has the political right of free speech and
the City Council meets with all the representatives of the parties, first
with the Human Rights Party, the political formation of the Greek minority
represented by deputy Thomas Mitsou, but also all the other parties: with
the socialists, the social democrats, and the supporters of the Democratic
Alliance, but it is not talking and refuses to meet with the Democratic
Party, the party of Berisha.

The city is defended by thousands of military insurgents and by just as
many armed civilians that the people call partisans and who define
themselves with the sentence, "We are the people".  Also involved in the
self-government are many ferrymen carrying stowaways to Italy. An
extraordinary fact is that Albanians and Greek Albanians are working hand
in hand, showing here how much the nationalist conflict is in large part
induced from the outside, at least in Albania. And then the events of the
failed pyramid scheme has unified the hearts and minds: here they have lost
everything. Now the insurgent military, led my General Xhevat Cocin and by
an ex-colonel from the Albanian army, are controlling the southern regions,
except for the moment, Argirokastro, that has passed into the hands of the
rebels yesterday evening.

It is the axis the runs from Fieri to Valona until Tepelene and includes
Delvines where four days ago there was a bloody gunfight with government
forces which fortunately brought only four wounded, although seriously.

The military command of the Saranda area has launched an appeal to
"soldiers, Albanian brothers" to not shoot at the people and to join the
insurgents. "All this that you see could end in an hour if Berisha goes
away", is what the people say and think.

But the news that is arriving from Tirana and the interpretation that they
give them here is not comforting, from this point of view. Yesterday
Berisha accepted elections anticipated within two months, but on the harsh
condition that the insurgents lay down their arms without even the
consideration of the idea of forming a coalition government with the
opposition for the pre-electoral phase.

=46rom Saranda, but it would be the same from Valona, they send word that
they will never deposit their weapons in the hands of the political
authority represented by Berisha, by his government, or by the Shik secret
police [DiFranco uses the word "shik" in reference to the secret police. I
think that must be the name of the force. JD].

At the same time in Saranda as the organization of civil life and military
training for the men, there is also a repressive apparatus that is trying
to strike at he operations of the secret service of Sali Berisha and also
to prevent episodes of summary justice. Three days ago a Shik woman agent
accused of having sent a list of the names of the leaders of the revolt to
Tirana, was thrashed in the square, shaved bald, and sent nude through the
streets of the city; there was also one summary execution, apparently a
Shik infiltrator who was found carrying a testimonial that confirmed his
membership in the service.

Also created during this time, was a council of intellectuals to inform
those outside on the regions in revolt and to represent a point of
political coming together in the region. The hatred for Berisha here seems
to be currency, even the children believe it necessary to "kill him".

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Joshua DeVries
Anarcho-Banjoist
(512) 482-9402

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Conspiracy of Equals Infoshop
505 San Jacinto
Austin TX 78703
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