Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac explained

Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac
Native Name:Ushtria Çlirimtare e Preshevës, Medvegjës dhe Bujanocit
Native Name Lang:Albanian
War:Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
Active:1999–2001
Ideology:Albanian nationalism
Greater Albania
Separatism
Irredentism
Leaders:Shefket Musliu
Muhamet Xhemajli
Ridvan Qazimi
Njazi Azemi
Bardhyl Osmani
Headquarters:Dobrosin
Area:"Ground Safety Zone", Preševo Valley, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Size:5,000 (1,500 active)[1] [2]
Predecessor: Kosovo Liberation Army
Successor: National Liberation Army (Macedonia)
Allies: Kosovo Liberation Army
Albanian National Army
National Liberation Army
Opponents:

KFOR

Battles:Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

The Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (LAPMB; Albanian: Ushtria Çlirimtare e Preshevës, Medvegjës dhe Bujanocit, UÇPMB; Serbian: Ослободилачка војска Прешева, Медвеђе и Бујановца, '''ОВПМБ'''|Oslobodilačka vojska Preševa, Medveđe i Bujanovca, OVPMB) was an Albanian militant insurgent group fighting for separation from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for three municipalities: Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovac, home to most of the Albanians in south Serbia, adjacent to Kosovo. Of the three municipalities, two have an ethnic Albanian majority, whilst Medveđa has a significant minority of them.[3] [4]

The UÇPMB's uniforms, procedures and tactics mirrored those of the then freshly disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The 1,500-strong paramilitary launched an insurgency in the Preševo Valley from 1999 to 2001, with the goal of joining these municipalities to Kosovo.[5] The EU condemned what it described as the "extremism" and use of "illegal terrorist actions" by the group.[6]

Background

In 1992–1993, ethnic Albanians created the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)[7] which started attacking police forces and secret-service officials who abused Albanian civilians in 1995.[8] Starting in 1998, the KLA was involved in frontal battle, with increasing numbers of Yugoslav security forces. Escalating tensions led to the Kosovo War in February 1998.[9] [10] [11]

History

After the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, a three-mile "Ground Safety Zone" (GSZ) was established between Kosovo (governed by the UN) and inner Serbia and Montenegro. Yugoslav Forces (VJ) units were not permitted there, and only the lightly armed Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs forces were left in the area.[12]

The exclusion zone included the predominantly Albanian village of Dobrosin, but not Preševo. Serbian police had to stop patrolling the area to avoid being ambushed. Ethnic Albanian politicians opposed to the KLA were attacked, including Zemail Mustafi, the vice-president of the Bujanovac branch of Slobodan Milošević's Socialist Party of Serbia who was later assassinated.[13] [14]

Between 21 June 1999 and 12 November 2000, 294 attacks were recorded. 246 in Bujanovac, 44 in Medveđa and 6 in Preševo. These attacks resulted in 14 people killed (of which six were civilians and eight were policemen), 37 people wounded (two UN observers, three civilians and 34 policemen) and five civilians kidnapped. In their attacks, UÇPMB used mostly assault rifles, machine guns, mortars and sniper rifles, but occasionally also RPGs, hand grenades, and anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.[15]

The UÇPMB included minors.[16]

On 4 March 2000, around 500 UÇPMB fighters attacked the city of Dobrosin. The battle resulted in one UÇPMB and one Serb fighter killed,[17] while another 175 were displaced.[18] On 21 November 2000, members of the UÇPMB attacked the city of Dobrosin and the surrounding villages. Heavy fighting resulted in the VJ retreating to Končulj, Lučane, and Bujanovac.[19] [20] After four policemen were killed and two wounded by the UÇPMB, the VJ retreated back to the GSZ.[21]

On 6 January 2001, the UÇPMB took control of Gornja Šušaja,[22] and were well received by the locals. On 19 January, in command of Bardhyl Osmani, raided VJ positions near Crnotince.[23] On 20 January, the VJ launched an attack against the UÇPMB stronghold. The battle lasted for four days when VJ forces were forced to withdraw.

On 13 May 2001, the VJ and Serbian police launched an attack on the UÇPMB in Oraovica before they entered Sector B. The fighting began at 6:10 am when Yugoslav troops entered the city. At 7:00 am, the UÇPMB attacked Serbian police and fired three rockets towards Oraovica and VJ positions. Attacks from the UÇPMB stopped at 8:00 am. On 14 May 2001, the Yugoslav troops captured the city after the UÇPMB attacked again at 2:15 pm.[24]

On 21 May 2001, members of the UÇPMB signed the Končulj Agreement, which resulted in the full demilitarization, demobilization, and disarmament of the UÇPMB.[25] [26] The agreement stated that the VJ was allowed to enter the GSZ by 31 May 2001.[27] [28] At the same time, the Serbian side agreed to sign the Statement on conditional amnesty for members of the UÇPMB, which promised amnesty to UÇPMB fighters on 23 May 2001.[29] After Shefket Musliu signed the Končulj Agreement, he stated:[30]

As the situation escalated, NATO allowed the VJ to reclaim the GSZ on 24 May 2001, at the same time giving the UÇPMB the opportunity to turn themselves over to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which promised to only take their weapons and note their names before releasing them. More than 450 UÇPMB members took advantage of KFOR's "screen and release" policy, among them commander Shefket Musliu, who turned himself over to KFOR at a checkpoint along the GSZ just after midnight of 26 May 2001.[31]

Aftermath

With the signing of the Končulj Agreement in May 2001, the former KLA and UÇPMB fighters next moved to western Macedonia where they established the NLA, which fought against the Macedonian government in 2001. Ali Ahmeti organized the NLA from former KLA and UÇPMB fighters from Kosovo, Albanian insurgents from the UÇPMB in Serbia, young Albanian radicals, nationalists from Macedonia, and foreign mercenaries.[32] [33] The acronym was the same as the KLA's in Albanian.

In July 2001, former NLA fighters created the Albanian National Army (ANA, AKSh),[34] and announced itself on 3 August 2001.[35] The group is associated with FBKSh (National Front for Reunification of Albanians), its political wing. The group participated in attacks against Macedonian forces with the NLA.[36] [37] After the NLA disbanded, the ANA later went and operated in the Preševo Valley.[38]

Organization

The UÇPMB was organized into five brigades, each with their own commanders:

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor. 2005. Jane's Information Group. 51.
  2. Nigel Thomas, K. Mikulan, Darko Pavlović, The Yugoslav Wars, p. 51
  3. Web site: Population by nationality and gender Census 2022 .
  4. Web site: 2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings . 2023-12-07.
  5. Book: Rafael Reuveny. William R. Thompson. Coping with Terrorism: Origins, Escalation, Counterstrategies, and Responses. 5 November 2010. SUNY Press. 978-1-4384-3313-4. 185–.
  6. Book: European Centre for Minority Issues Staf. European Yearbook of Minority Issues: 2001/2. 1 January 2003. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 90-411-1956-6. 652–.
  7. Book: Eriksson . Mikael . Mediation and Liberal Peacebuilding: Peace from the Ashes of War? . Kostić . Roland . 15 February 2013 . Routledge . 978-1-136-18916-6 . 43–.
  8. Perret 2008, p. 63
  9. Book: Independent International Commission on Kosovo . The Kosovo Report . Oxford University Press . 2000 . 978-0199243099 . Oxford . 2 . 2020-08-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411181432/https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/6D26FF88119644CFC1256989005CD392-thekosovoreport.pdf . 2022-04-11 . live.
  10. Book: Quackenbush, Stephen L. . International Conflict: Logic and Evidence . Sage . 2015 . 9781452240985 . Los Angeles . 202 . 2020-09-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230111165732/https://books.google.com/books?id=l9c5DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA202 . 2023-01-11 . live.
  11. Web site: June 1999 . Roots of the Insurgency in Kosovo . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210625175227/https://www.ausa.org/sites/default/files/BB-82-Roots-of-the-Insurgency-in-Kosovo.pdf . 2021-06-25 . 2020-08-08.
  12. Web site: A calm Kosovo moves towards a tense future. Ce-review.org. 7 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120210190030/http://www.ce-review.org/00/43/kosovonews43.html. 10 February 2012. dead.
  13. Web site: 2000-03-10 . KLA provocations in Mitrovica and southwest Serbia . 2024-01-26 . World Socialist Web Site . en.
  14. News: Erlanger . Steven . 2000-03-02 . Kosovo Rebels Regrouping Nearby in Serbia . 2024-01-26 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  15. News: Ninoslav. Krstic. Dragan Zivkovic. Извођење операције решавања кризе на југу Србије изазване деловањем наоружаних албанских екстремиста (терориста). Vojno delo. 0042-8426. 180.
  16. Web site: Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Child Soldiers International. 2001. The UCPMB is an Albanian armed group operating in southern Serbia whose operations are reportedly controlled by the Political Council for Presovo. They are calling for the incorporation of the cities of Preshava, Medvegia and Bujanovci into Kosovo. Estimates of numbers vary between 200 and 15,000.
    The Guardian newspaper reported in January 2001 that some sixty suspected members of the UCPMB guerrilla had been arrested by peacekeepers. UCPMB recruits include children in their mid teens to men in their forties ... Further confirmation of the participation of child soldiers came when KFOR detained 16 juveniles (aged 15-17) in the first two months of 2001 for alleged involvement in the conflict (although the degree of "involvement" is not clear). The international media claim that there is forced recruitment of juveniles into this group but this is not verified and numbers are small ... A 15-year-old Albanian male was reported shot dead on 23 March 2001 in the Ground Safety Zone near Gnjilane. Although no confirmations have been received, the circumstances suggest he may have been a child soldier.
    UNICEF, 9/3/01 op. cit.Information (provided by [a] confidential source that requests confidentiality, 3/01).
  17. Web site: Die vergessenen Albaner Serbiens - Zur Lage der ethnischen Albaner in Südserbien außerhalb des Kosovo - Ulf Brunnbauer in Südosteuropa, Zeitschrift für Gegenwartsforschung, 7-8/1999 . 2022-10-04 . www.bndlg.de . Overnight Friday, Albanian witnesses reported clashes between the Serbian police and the UCPBM fighters in Dobrosin. And a week ago, a UCPBM fighter and a Serb policeman were killed, while two policemen were injured in clashes in the village..
  18. Web site: Associated Press . 2000-03-05 . Civilians Flee Serbian Border Town . 2022-10-02 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  19. Book: Yugoslav Survey . Jugoslavija Publishing House . 2000 . Indiana University . English.
  20. Book: Mukarji, Apratim . Assertive democracy : transition in Yugoslavia : selected documents . Indian Council of Social Science Research and Manak Publications . Apratim Mukarji, K. G. Tyagi, Indian Council of Social Science Research . 2001 . 81-7827-024-2 . New Delhi . 442 . English . 47667218.
  21. News: 4 May 2012 . Uhapšeni Albanci otimali i kasapili Srbe . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120708083604/http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/aktuelno.292.html:378228-Uhapseni-Albanci-otimali-i-kasapili-Srbe . 8 July 2012 . 27 December 2012 . Večernje Novosti.
  22. Web site: Në kujtim të 20 vjetorit të njërës nga betejat e luftës së Preshevës – Epoka e Re . 2023-08-27 . en-US.
  23. Web site: +Presheva.AL . 2021-01-25 . Në njëzet vjetorin e Betejës së Shoshajës 24-28 janar të vitit 2001 . 2023-08-27 . PRESHEVA.AL . en-US.
  24. Web site: 2001-05-16 . Yugoslavia: Troops Win Tactical Victory In Presevo Valley . 2018-06-29 . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . en.
  25. Web site: Kožul . Dejan . 16 August 2021 . THE FORGOTTEN VALLEY . Kosovo 2.0.
  26. Web site: PA-X: Peace Agreements Database . 2022-07-21 . www.peaceagreements.org.
  27. Web site: www.glas-javnosti.co.yu . 2020-08-22 . arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs.
  28. Web site: Ušli smo u ozloglašeno selo, rodni kraj teroriste, uoči "Dana Kapetana Lešija": Kada smo pitali Albance za njega, dobili smo jasan odgovor, na srpskom (FOTO) . 2020-08-22 . Telegraf.rs . sr.
  29. Web site: 2009-12-29 . Serbia: IDPs still seeking housing solutions and documentation to access their rights . refworld.org.
  30. Web site: 2012-09-21 . Ish-komandanti i UCPMB-së, Shefqet Musliu: Gjykimi ishte politik Presheva Jonë . 2024-03-07 . en-US.
  31. Web site: Yumpu.com . NATO and the KLA TWO . 2022-11-26 . yumpu.com . 134 . en.
  32. Book: Pål Kolstø . Media Discourse and the Yugoslav Conflicts: Representations of Self and Other . Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. . 2009 . 9780754676294 . 173.
  33. News: Marusic . Sinisa . 2020-09-02 . North Macedonia Albanian Leader Testifies to Kosovo War Prosecutors . Balkan Insight.
  34. Web site: Новая албанская банда ответит за 10 убитых македонцев . The new Albanian gang will be responsible for the 10 killed Macedonians . dead . https://archive.today/20130417111337/http://top.rbc.ru/incidents/09/08/2001/43563.shtml . 2013-04-17 . 2012-02-19 . RBK Group.
  35. Web site: 2005-04-18 . Lenta.ru: БАЛКАНЫ: Разоружившиеся албанские боевики сменили вывеску и снова взялись за оружие . https://web.archive.org/web/20050418194344/http://lenta.ru/yugo/2001/08/08/ana/ . 2005-04-18 . 2024-01-17 .
  36. Web site: August 10, 2001 . Macedonia - defense: Buckovski: "Let tragedy be the beginning of the end of the war" . 26 June 2022 . Relief.web . English . "ANA" CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR KILLING OF TEN MACEDONIAN SOLDIERS Skopje, August 10 - A new armed group of ethnic Albanians on Thursday claimed responsibility for the killing of ten Macedonian army reservists in a highway ambush a day earlier. The "Albanian National Army" (AKSH) e-mailed a statement to several media in the region, on Albanian-language, saying a combined unit of its fighters and of the so-called National Liberation Army (NLA) carried the attack out "in revenge" for the killing of five NLA members by Macedonian security forces..
  37. Web site: Rebels kill three policemen in Macedonia . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151018023909/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/13/balkans . 18 October 2015 . 3 July 2022 . The Guardian . In a statement yesterday, a dissident ethnic Albanian group calling itself the Albanian National Army claimed responsibility for the killings, saying: "The Skopje government is restarting its terror and sees war as the only response to Albanian demands.".
  38. Web site: "Albanische Nationalarmee" bekennt sich zu Anschlag im südserbischen Presevo-Tal – DW – 13.08.2003 . 2024-01-17 . dw.com . de.
  39. Web site: Mitat Skender Musliu Komandat i Njisitit 16.02.1981/14.05.2001 . 2024-02-21 . SHoqata Humanitare Lugina e Presheves . de-DE.
  40. Web site: 2020-03-26 . Respekt e nderim për Njazi Azemin-Komandant "Mjekrra" në 19-vjetorin e rënies . 2024-02-20 . 2LONLINE . sq.
  41. News: 26 May 2001 . Rebel Albanian chief surrenders . BBC News .
  42. Web site: Razmena vatre došla mu glave . 2020-08-22 . arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs.
  43. Web site: Albanci Preševa i Bujanovca slave komandanta Lešija . 2020-08-22 . Blic.rs . sr.
  44. News: British K-For troops under fire. BBC News. 25 January 2001.
  45. Web site: Unternehmensberatung . ADVOKAT . Entscheidung TE AsylGH Erkenntnis 2008/09/04 B3 318745-1/2008 - JUSLINE Österreich . 2023-10-29 . www.jusline.at . de.
  46. Web site: 2016-03-06 . Qendra për Informim e Kosovës . 2023-12-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306075358/http://www.kosova.com/arkivi1997/i000522.htm . 2016-03-06 .

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