Global Information1997 Albanian civil unrest information
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| 1997 Albanian civil unrest | |||||||
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 Evacuation of the United States citizens during Operation Silver Wake | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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 Thomas Klestil Jacques Chirac Helmut Kohl Costas Simitis Oscar Luigi Scalfaro Emil Constantinescu José María Aznar Süleyman Demirel Bill Clinton | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown |
 30,000 soldiers7,000+ peacekeepers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,000[2]–3,800, civilians and members of army, police, and secret police[citation needed] | |||||||
| Part of the |
| 1997 Albanian civil unrest |
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| Fighting groups |
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| Gangs of 1997 |
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| Massacres in 1997 |
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| Tragedies of 1997 |
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| Treasury thefts |
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| Rescue missions |
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| UN Resolutions |
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| Important events |
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| See also |
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In 1997, widespread civil unrest struck Albania due to economic problems in the country, that were caused by the collapse of pyramid schemes. Due to the large quantities of money robbed from the government to fund the schemes, the Democratic Party's government collapsed in January 1997. More than 2,000 people were killed in the conflict until its end in August 1997. The creation of a new government came as the revolutionaries surrounded Tirana.[3][4] Various other sources also describe the violence that ensued as a rebellion or even a civil war.
By January 1997, Albanian citizens, who had lost a total of $1.2 billion, took their protest to the streets. Beginning in February, thousands of citizens launched daily protests demanding reimbursement by the government, which they believed was profiting from the schemes. On 1 March, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi resigned and on 2 March, President Sali Berisha declared a state of emergency.[5]
On March 11th, the Socialist Party of Albania won a major victory when its leader, Bashkim Fino, was appointed prime minister. However, the transfer of power did not halt the unrest, and protests spread to northern Albania. Although the government quelled revolts in the north, the ability of the government and military to maintain order began to collapse, especially in the southern half of Albania, which fell under the control of rebels and criminal gangs.[5]
All major population centres were engulfed in demonstrations by 13 March and foreign countries began to evacuate their citizens. These evacuations included Operation Libelle, Operation Silver Wake and Operation Cosmas, by the German, American and Greek militaries respectively.[6] The United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1101, authorized a force of 7,000 troops on 28 March to direct relief efforts and restore order in Albania. The UN feared the unrest would spread beyond Albania's borders and send refugees throughout Europe. So, the US and NATO provided assistance to the refugees by managing refugee camps, airlifting the displaced populations throughout Europe, and securing the borders.[7] On 15 April, a multi-national peacekeeping force launched Operation Alba which helped restore rule of law in the country by late July.[5]
After the rebellion had ended, some of the weapons looted from Albanian army barracks and stockpiles were acquired by the Kosovo Liberation Army, with many making their way to the ensuing Kosovo War (1998–99).[8][9]
- ^ "ALBANIA: parliamentary elections Kuvendi Popullor, 1997".
- ^ Jarvis 2000.
- ^ Jarvis, Christopher (March 2000). "The Rise and Fall of Albania's Pyramid Schemes". Finance & Development: A Quarterly Magazine of the IMF.
- ^ "Crisis in Albania". Public Broadcasting Service. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ a b c pPike, John. "Albanian Civil War (1997)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ Greek Army. "Evacuation of 240 Foreign Dignitaries from Albania Operation "Kosmas"". Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ Salehyan, Idean; Gleditsch, Kristian Skrede (April 2006). "Refugees and the Spread of Civil War". International Organization. 60 (2). doi:10.1017/S0020818306060103.
- ^ "Kosovo: Background to crisis (March 1999)". Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
Following the February/March 1997 looting of Albanian Army barracks and depots, weapons became even more readily available. The current price for a Kalashnikov is barely US$300, and the most conservative estimates of Albanians' stocks now start at 25,000 hidden AK assault rifles. Also available are anti-tank weapons, rifle and hand grenades and even small-calibre mortars and anti-aircraft guns.
- ^ Robert Bideleux (11 November 1998). "Kosovo's Conflict". History Today.