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Timeline: Republic of Macedonia
A chronology of key events:
1945 - Establishment of Yugoslav socialist federation, comprising six republics, including Macedonia, with Tito as president.
1980 - Death of Tito, rise of nationalism among federation's constituent republics.
1991 - Majority of voters support independence in referendum.
New constitution enacted in the face of opposition by ethnic Albanian deputies. Declaration of independence. International recognition slow because Greece objects to the use of the name Macedonia, the same as one of its own provinces.
1992 - Unofficial referendum among ethnic Albanians shows overwhelming wish for their own territorial autonomy.
Government resigns after mass demonstrations for failure to win recognition for the country's independence. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia acknowledges Macedonia's secession.
UN approves dispatch of troops to monitor inter-ethnic tension.
UN recognition
1993 - Gains UN membership under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
1994 - Greece imposes trade restrictions, causing economic damage.
1995 - Unrest in Tetovo after newly opened Albanian-language university is declared illegal. Rector is jailed.
President Kiro Gligorov injured in assassination bid.
Greece recognises independence, lifts trade restrictions.
1996 - Sporadic ethnic Albanian protests over curbs on Tetovo's Albanian-language university.
1997 - Constitutional court forbids use of Albanian flag, sparking protests. Parliament adopts law on restricted use of the Albanian flag. Unrest follows forced removal of Albanian flags in Gostivar and Tetovo. Gostivar's mayor, Rufi Osmani, is jailed for rebellion over the flag-related unrest.
Mass rallies
1998 - Thousands of ethnic Albanians gather in Skopje in support of ethnic Albanians in Serbia.
Elections bring into power a coalition government which is led by Ljubco Georgievski and includes ethnic Albanian representatives.
1999 February - Parliament approves an amnesty for mayor Osmani and thousands of other prisoners, overriding Gligorov's objections.
1999 March - Nato begins bombing campaign against Yugoslavia over its treatment of Kosovo Albanians. Serbian mass expulsion and killings of Kosovo Albanians leads to exodus into neighbouring countries, including Macedonia.
1999 June - Yugoslavia accepts peace plan. Kosovo refugees start leaving Macedonia.
2000 - Macedonian troops on high alert on border with Kosovo because of increasing violence.
Insurgency crisis
2001 February - Nato's KFOR peacekeeping troops in Kosovo promise to step up border patrols to control movement of supplies and people after incidents near frontier.
2001 March - Nato urges government not to use force against militants occupying Tanusevci near Kosovo border. Further incidents of violence. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and US back use of force against guerrillas. Border with Kosovo closed.
Macedonian army backed by KFOR launches offensive to flush out guerrillas from Tanusevci.
National Liberation Army (NLA) emerges, demanding equal rights for ethnic Albanians and voicing support for militants at Tanusevci.
Democratic Party of Albanians stages mass rally in Skopje against violence.
Tetovo town square hit by shells, fighting spreads.
Mass demonstration in Skopje urging tougher action against rebels. Tanks enter Tetovo, rebel positions hit by mortar fire. Government gives rebels ultimatum to surrender or face all-out attack. Refugee agency UNHCR says 22,000 ethnic Albanians have fled fighting.
2001 May - Main Macedonian parties form government of national unity under PM Ljubco Georgievski which pledges to address minority grievances. Fighting continues.
2001 June - Ethnic Albanian shops and a mosque in the southern town of Bitola torched in riots before the funerals of Macedonian soldiers killed by guerrillas.
Rebels take Aracinovo just outside Skopje. Days later NATO evacuates but does not disarm them.
Armed protesters besiege parliament in Skopje, angry at what they see as leniency towards ethnic Albanian rebels. President Boris Trajkovski makes a national appeal for peace.
Peace returns
2001 August - Government and rebels sign western-backed peace agreement involving greater recognition of ethnic Albanian rights in exchange for rebel pledge to hand over weapons to NATO peace force.
2001 September - NATO carries out month-long Operation Essential Harvest to disarm rebels, exceeding target of collecting 3,300 weapons.
2001 October - Government announces amnesty for former members of the National Liberation Army days after it disbands.
Macedonian police begin entering villages formerly controlled by ethnic Albanian guerrillas.
2001 November - Parliament approves new constitution incorporating reforms required by August peace deal. It recognises Albanian as an official language and increases access for ethnic Albanians to public-sector jobs, including the police.
Moderate Social Democrats leave government coalition.
2002 January - Parliament cedes more power to local government to improve status of ethnic Albanians.
2002 March - Parliament amnesties former ethnic Albanian rebels who handed in their arms during NATO-supervised weapons collection.
International donors pledge more than $500 million in aid to help Macedonia recover from last year's fighting.
2002 June - Parliament passes new laws making Albanian an official language.
2002 September - Elections see voters put nationalist Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski out of office. Social Democrats under Branko Crvenkovski become largest party in parliament. Well over half of Albanian voters back the Democratic Union for Integration under former Albanian rebel fighter Ali Ahmeti.
2003 March - EU takes over peacekeeping duties from NATO.
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