Albanians, Macedonians Clash over 'Church' Construction
Rival Macedonian and Albanian protesters have clashed at Skopje’s fortress over the controversial construction of a musuem in the form of a church, leaving several injured.
Witnesses say that a fight broke out between ethnic Macedonians, who were supporting the building of the museum-church, and ethnic Albanians, who are opposed to the project, on Sunday afternoon.
Stones were thrown, according to witnesses, and local media has reported that at least one person was stabbed.
Police have now separated the two groups, but refused to give further detail of the incident, saying they would report on developments later today.
The plan to build a museum in the style of a medieval church at the fortress in Macedonia’s capital has ignited the country's tense ethnic relations.
Nearly all ethnic Albanian political parties and organisations have labelled the project as a provocation from the ruling, conservative government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. Some have called for the construction of a mosque at the same location.
Late on Friday, a group of people led by high-ranking officials from the junior, ruling Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, the biggest Albanian party in the country, forcibly entered the fortress and started demolishing the construction site.
The action was condemned by Gruevski and his main, ruling VMRO DPMNE party. Observers say the incident puts the ruling coalition with the DUI at risk.
In 2001, Macedonia suffered a short-lived armed conflict between ethnic Albanian insurgents and the security forces. The conflict ended with the so-called Ohrid peace deal, which guaranteed greater rights for Albanians, who make up about a quarter of the population of the country.
The former insurgent leaders then formed the DUI, which has since been by far the strongest ethnic Albanian party in Macedonia.
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