MACEDONIA UPSET BY STRING OF INTERETHNIC INCIDENTS
admin1 – March 9, 2012 – 2:56pm

The latest bus incidents in Skopje, when about a dozen citizens of Albanian and Macedonian ethnicity were severely injured, gave rise again to fears that Macedonia might be ahead of a new interethnic conflict. Experts as well as politicians warned that the incidents must not be seen in isolation and that perpetrators should be found immediately to stop interethnic revenge from spiraling out of control. A swift reaction, an address to the citizens by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and BDI leader Ali Ahmeti with calming tones, and urgent government and parliament sittings have been called for Thursday by both experts and the opposition. The seriousness of the situation is indicated also by the announcements of extraordinary meetings of the highest bodies of BDI and PDSH. There was no government reaction Thursday to the incidents or an announcement of an extraordinary sitting, Dnevnik reports.