Macedonia: Ethnic Albanian rebels announce fresh attack by 'Cobra' special unit
Dnevnik - July 31, 2003

By: Emil Zafirovski

"Commander Cakalla threatens with 'Cobras'", published by Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik on 31 July

About 30 uniformed and armed people from Kosovo crossed the border between Macedonia and Serbia-Montenegro in the region of the Kumanovo village of Strima last night, Dnevnik has learned. Intelligence sources claim that this group deployed to several improvised camps.

According to the same sources, over the past weeks arms have been brought from Kosovo to Macedonia and about 200 uniformed and well armed people have been deployed in the mountainous areas beyond the village of Lipkovo for several months now. Most of them are local residents, but there are also citizens from other parts of the country and from Kosovo.

Dnevnik sources on the ground have confirmed the presence of armed groups in the Kumanovo area. Moreover, they claim that there are such groups in the Skopje and Tetovo regions. On the other hand, Defence Minister Spokesman Marjan Gjurovski has asserted that the security situation is stable.

"The border patrols have not noticed any entry of uniformed and armed groups or their presence on the ground. The situation is stable and secure," Gjurovski said yesterday.

Reports have indicated that one of the principal leaders of the armed groups in the Kumanovo region is Aracinovo resident Avdula Jakupi, also known as Commander Cakalla.

Several months ago, Cakalla openly threatened that former ONA National Liberation Army - NLA in English, UCK in Albanian members would incite a new war in Macedonia, unless the country was proclaimed a protectorate.

Dnevnik contacted Commander Cakalla yesterday. He told us that there were well-armed and organized military forces with the "Cobra" special unit on the ground, which would become active very soon.

"There is no going back now. We must complete what we have begun. We are aware of this. We are dissatisfied with the war. Ali Ahmeti Democratic Union for Integration leader and Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski have initiated an operation for liquidating the discontented people, because they are afraid for their positions. They have already killed three men: Ridvan Neziri Hoxha in Caircanka Skopje shopping centre , Aracinovo resident Nexmedin Demiri in Singjelic, and Vojsa Grgurica. They have a list of 150 more former ONA members. This is why we have begun functioning again. Ali Ahmeti and Branko Crvenkovski are first on our blacklist," Jakupi said yesterday.

SOURCE: Dnevnik, Skopje, in Macedonian 31 Jul 03 pp 1, 3

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BBC Monitoring Europe - Political
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