Albania - DHA: 02-09.Nov.97
Albania - DHA: 02-09.Nov.97
Situation Report from the UN Resident Coordinator in ALBANIA
Period Covered: 02-09 November 1997
GENERAL SITUATION
The Prime Minister Fatos Nano met with former Republic of Yugoslavia,
President Miloshevic. Several issues were discussed including Kosovo.
The meeting, the first since 1947, was deemed a success.
Security has improved but there are still incidents either among gangs
or between police and gangs and also highway robbery.
Reports from the local media say 15 police inspectors will work with the
Greek police in an attempt to neutralise the Albanian mafia which is
cooperating with the Greek mafia on both territories.
The police force is continuing to replace certain officers and fill the
ranks with properly trained policemen. The weapons collection programme
is still ongoing with a majority of heavy weapons, such as heavy machine
guns (HMG) and Rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and mortars being handed
in. Very few pistols have been received and there are still many
kalashnikovs at large.
The press reports that, according to reliable sources within the
Ministry of Interior, a number of NGOs have members who are working for
foreign intelligence agencies and others have members who are suspected
of being involved in money laundering. In fact most of these NGOs have
no financial resources in Albania and most are registered in remote
districts such as Skrapar, Permet, Tepelena. An investigation on the
issue will take place for three months and its outcome will be made
public.
Most major towns and highways are now relatively secure allowing UN NGOs
and Agencies to move quite freely and without escorts. However there are
some rural areas where a police escort is still required.
NORTHERN REGION
Shkoder
Press reports that the Chief of the commissariat was killed yesterday by
two unidentified persons who threw a hand grenade from a car. The reason
for the assassination is not known.
There are still some armed gangs operating in the mountains in the
commune area of Ungrej. As a result pension and social security payments
have not been sent from Lezhe for the past three months. Ungrej is
situated almost at mid-distance between Lezhe and Puke.
Peshkopi
Latest figures of weapons' collection in the district of Dibra: 600
automatic rifles, 480 hand grenades, 1200 different types of a grenade,
50 HMGs, 17 anti air craft HMGs, 250 RPGs.
CENTRAL REGION
Tirane
In the past two weeks ten vehicles belonging to the ICRC to the UN to
the European Communities Monitoring Mission and to the OSCE have been
broken into. A lap-top, a cassette and a short wave radio were stolen.
Drug abuse is reported to be on the increase in the area.
Elbasan
The police discovered a weapons dump in a cave at the village of
Bradashesh. They recovered 300 automatic weapons and a large amount of
ammunition.
SOUTHERN REGION
Fier
The security situation has worsened with loud explosions and automatic
gunfire occurring. It has been reported that masked police are clamping
down on teenage thugs who are cause for concern to the local
authorities.
Base manager of Weatherford Enterra oil services company had a brand new
pick-up truck stolen. He is negotiating to get it back and he has not
informed the police for fear of the thieves' reaction.
Gjirokaster
Police collected 230 weapons including 44 kalashnikovs, 14 heavy and
light machine guns, 450 hand grenades and 70000 rounds of ammunition.
Tepelene
Special police and two armed gangs were involved in a clash that lasted
four hours on Monday 3 November.
Permet
Special police arrested a gang of five men, two of which were policemen
and one an ex policeman. Weapons, ammunition, walkie talkies, flack
jackets and a large amount of stolen goods were recovered.
Corovode
An armed gang intent on robbery ambushed a vehicle. They fired at random
and in doing so killed the head of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for
the district of Skrapari.
Lushnje
Police report 48 percent of unregistered weapons have now been
collected. Out of 360 registered weapons only three have not been
collected. Security in the town is a problem.
Four criminals have been killed recently, one in the town (wanted for
killing three men wounding 12 others and also responsible for many armed
robberies) and three in blood feuds. Two other dangerous criminals were
arrested and sent to Tirana. They were released from jail one month
later and as reported by the police to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
are operating again.
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
UNICEF
UNICEF and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs are organising a
survey on street children in collaboration with some NGOs and with the
Faculty of Social Work to be conducted in Tirane, Durres, Shkoder, Fier,
Vlore, Korce and Berat.
Arrival of medicines, equipment and consumables for health centres in
the districts of Puka, Kukes, Librazhd, Delvine, Sarande, Permet. This
is in the frame of the Emergency Health Project, -Adopt a Health
District.- Distribution will be done later on by different NGOs.
WHO
This week was the termination of the Polio Vaccination Campaign
organised by the Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, UNICEF
and WHO. Dr. Schmidt left Albania on 6 November 1997 on completion of
his assignment as WHO Head of Mission during the Albanian Emergency. The
19th Health Coordination Meeting will be held on 7 November.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office in Tirana, Albania
Mr. Jan Wahlberg UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator
Tel.: (0035542) 275 00 or 322 63 - Fax: (0035542) 300 28
E-Mail: Wahlberg@unicef.tirana.al
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Ms. Sylvia Ferazzi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. David McLachlan-Karr
Tel.: (1 212) 963.0226 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: mclachlan-karr@un.org
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856 - Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH - E-Mail: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org
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