UCK Threatens Macedonian Republic

[VMRO]

Let's see what happens today first when the Macedonians and Albanians protest in Skopje.

[Vangelovski]

Thanks.

During the Balkan wars we saw Serbian paramilitary groups having quasi-official contact with the army and police, with the latter even arming some of these groups, would it be similar here?

I doubt it - the Macedonian government is nothing but a quisling for foreign interests. Even during 2001 Buckovski ordered the Macedonian army to withdraw all heavy weapons like artillery and even had the firing pins removed from many of them so that soldiers on the front would not "overreact".

The best thing that could happen in any future conflict is if Macedonian paramilitaries act independently of the state, while pilfering its armoury as most soldiers do anyway.

[Vangelovski]

I've been hearing about this MOS on and off for a good few years now, are they even active or is it a few guys who put on some black uniforms and pose for photo's.


There hasn't been any concrete evidence that they are active, during the 2001 conflict they were claiming to be fighting but can anyone confirm this?

Its hard to tell. I know some of the members of the Struga branch, and like most organisations, its a mixed bunch. Some would definately defend their country while others are just posers.

As for 2001, it is possible that individual members fought within the ranks of the army and police, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that MOS as an organisation was involved.

[VMRO]

Its hard to tell. I know some of the members of the Struga branch, and like most organisations, its a mixed bunch. Some would definately defend their country while others are just posers.

As for 2001, it is possible that individual members fought within the ranks of the army and police, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that MOS as an organisation was involved.

I know there were reports where paramilitary groups in 2001 were assisting the Army, but it was just reports.

[Volokin]

Being a Facebook page with 890 likes, it would appear it's just a bunch of internet warriors.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/U%C3%A7k-Shkup/215208105336685

First I have heard of this supposed group.

[Vangelovski]

I know there were reports where paramilitary groups in 2001 were assisting the Army, but it was just reports.

I think those reports were related to the Lions, which strictly speaking, was probably a paramilitary group run by DPMNE. Buckovski tried to paint it as a legally constituted police unit, but it appears that its command and control structure ran through DPMNE rather than the Ministry of Interior. In the end, its really hard to be sure - they way the party runs the state over there really blurs the lines between state and political party, between public and private and between legitimate state institutions and non-state organisations like political parties.

[VMRO]

I think those reports were related to the Lions, which strictly speaking, was probably a paramilitary group run by DPMNE. Buckovski tried to paint it as a legally constituted police unit, but it appears that its command and control structure ran through DPMNE rather than the Ministry of Interior. In the end, its really hard to be sure - they way the party runs the state over there really blurs the lines between state and political party, between public and private and between legitimate state institutions and non-state organisations like political parties.

I agree with you about the Lions being run by DPMNE, two of their parliamentarians at the time were part of the Lions and fought in Tetovo.

The two i'm talking about were Filip Petrovski and Aleksandar Panov.