Some 1 000 Macedonians , most of them football fans , gathered in the capital Skopje late on Monday to protest in the wake of the brutal murder of five Macedonian men last week.
Several protesters, mostly youngsters, were arrested after they threw rocks at police officers, and shouted nationalistic and anti-Albanian slogans, B92 informs.
Late Thursday, the bodies of four young men, aged 18 to 20, as well as that of a 45-year-old local man, all of ethnic Slavic origin, were found near a lake in the vicinity of Macedonian capital Skopje. The tragic event took place on the eve of Orthodox Easter holidays
The murders sparked fears that a simmering conflict between Slavic and Albanian Macedonian citizens could re-ignite.
Tensions in Macedonia have been simmering since the end of an armed rebellion in 2001, when ethnic Albanian rebels fought Macedonian government forces for about eight months, seeking greater rights for their community. The conflict left 80 people dead, and ended with the intervention of NATO troops.
Meanwhile, media reports emerged that there may have been a surviving witness to last week's brutal murders. According to Vecernie Novosti, the killers may have "overlooked" the presence of a witness, who is now believed to be providing investigators with valuable assistance.
The execution aims at sparking an interethnic conflict, Alexander Damovski, a journalist and editor-in-chief of the Macedonian news website MKD.mk, said in an interview with FOCUS News Agency, commenting on the killing of five fishermen close to Skopje and ensuing tension.
“The information about the way the killings were committed, about the escape and professionalism of the execution show it is a contract killing, not a preliminary interethnic conflict. This is an execution and a group or a service – no matter whether it is foreign or local – is behind it. However, what is important is that an interethnic context is sought,” said the journalist.
“If it is a contract killing and a service is involved, according to all pieces of evidence it is not related with settling of scores in the criminal world,” he said further.
“Up to now there are no serious concerns, but the aim is being achieved. Yesterday small demonstrations were held and the police did their work quickly. The pent-up anger in the Macedonian nation and Macedonian citizens in general still poses a risk,” he noted.
“I think there is good cooperation between the Macedonian and Albanians partners in the government in order to prevent interethnic conflicts. As to the country’s security and prevention of similar situations, it seems the security services do not have sufficient capacity,” he commented.
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