Ohrid Framework Agreement: ‘the elephant in the room’

In November 2019, the Forum Civil Peace Service – Macedonia Program, as well as the local Centre for Research of Nationalism and Culture and the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology Skopje, published the trilingual book Revisiting 2001, a collection of personal stories and experiences from the armed conflict. In the editors’ words, ‘the conflict or war of 2001 can be described as the “elephant in the room” in North Macedonia, a sort of taboo topic that is somehow all around, but hardly anybody talks about it openly and constructively in public’.
The Ohrid Framework Agreement is a settlement that ended a seven-month conflict in North Macedonia in 2001. It was signed by the North Macedonian government and representatives of the ethnic Albanian community in the country. Most, but not all, the ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia are Muslims. Ethnic Macedonians are predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christians. Besides religious differences, both groups speak a different language. Tensions between the two groups had built up in the years prior to 2001. In the first half of that year, this turned into open violence. The Ohrid Framework Agreement pacified this conflict. It arranged the disarmament of Albanian militias. It also provided linguistic and cultural rights to the minority groups. The conflict resolution after the OFA was also focused on rebuilding the inter-cultural and inter-religious trust in North Macedonia. Peace-building activities are still ongoing on the ground. Many domestic and international organizations are working on these activities.

Kontext:

Das Rahmenabkommen von Ohrid ist eine Regelung, die einen siebenmonatigen Konflikt in Nordmazedonien im Jahr 2001 beendete. Es wurde von der Regierung Nordmazedoniens und Vertretern der ethnischen albanischen Gemeinschaft im Land unterzeichnet. Die meisten, aber nicht alle ethnischen Albaner in Nordmazedonien sind Muslime. Die ethnischen Mazedonier sind überwiegend ostorthodoxe Christen. Neben religiösen Unterschieden sprechen beide Gruppen eine unterschiedliche Sprache. In den Jahren vor 2001 hatten sich Spannungen zwischen den beiden Gruppen aufgebaut. In der ersten Hälfte dieses Jahres kam es zu offener Gewalt. Das Rahmenabkommen von Ohrid befriedete diesen Konflikt. Es regelte die Entwaffnung der albanischen Milizen. Außerdem gewährte es den Minderheitengruppen sprachliche und kulturelle Rechte. Der folgende Ausschnitt ist ein Auszug aus einem mündlichen Interview mit einem Bewohner von Lešok, einem mazedonischen Dorf in der Nähe von Tetovo.

For more information on this and other peace treaties, see

Henning P. Jürgens, Patrick Pasture, Bram De Ridder, Christophe Schellekens, Naum Trajanovski. Reports on historical peace treaties and agreements. Retopea Deliverable 2.3. (November 2022).

Title

Ohrid Framework Agreement: ‘the elephant in the room’

content

In November 2019, the Forum Civil Peace Service – Macedonia Program, as well as the local Centre for Research of Nationalism and Culture and the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology Skopje, published the trilingual book Revisiting 2001, a collection of personal stories and experiences from the armed conflict. In the editors’ words, ‘the conflict or war of 2001 can be described as the “elephant in the room” in North Macedonia, a sort of taboo topic that is somehow all around, but hardly anybody talks about it openly and constructively in public’.

Context

The Ohrid Framework Agreement is a settlement that ended a seven-month conflict in North Macedonia in 2001. It was signed by the North Macedonian government and representatives of the ethnic Albanian community in the country. Most, but not all, the ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia are Muslims. Ethnic Macedonians are predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christians. Besides religious differences, both groups speak a different language. Tensions between the two groups had built up in the years prior to 2001. In the first half of that year, this turned into open violence. The Ohrid Framework Agreement pacified this conflict. It arranged the disarmament of Albanian militias. It also provided linguistic and cultural rights to the minority groups. The conflict resolution after the OFA was also focused on rebuilding the inter-cultural and inter-religious trust in North Macedonia. Peace-building activities are still ongoing on the ground. Many domestic and international organizations are working on these activities.

Questions

Can you think of any taboo topic from your local environment?

Temporal Coverage

21st century

Spatial Coverage

North Macedonia

map

42 / 21.433333

Relation

Law, police and public order

Subject

Ohrid Framework Agreement

Is Referenced By

Ohrid Framework Agreement: The Basic Principles
Ohrid Framework Agreement: emblems marking identity
Ohrid Framework Agreement: the start of the conflict
Ohrid Framework Agreement: a Macedonian model of multiculturalism (#1)?
Ohrid Framework Agreement: a Macedonian model of multiculturalism (#2)?
Ohrid Framework Agreement: commemorating the 2001 conflict (#1)
Ohrid Framework Agreement: commemorating the 2001 conflict (#2)

transcript of

Stojanov, Darko et al. 2019. Revisiting 2001 (Skopje: Forum Civil peace service): pp.7-12.

Audience

Yes

Creator

Naum Trajanovski

Collection

Peace and conflict resolution