Anyway, I can't say I'm really up to date on the current events in Macedonia. One of the reasons is that it's simply never brought up in western media. All they say here, is basically that ethnic Albanians are fighting for their rights in Macedonia. But imagine Albanians killing people here in Belgium... I can't imagine the press claiming that the Albanians are merely fighting for their rights in Belgium. The public outcry would be huge, and it would be worldwide news. But apparently, Macedonia has an almost inexplicably negative image in the western world (which is puzzling as they've been a rather peaceful country throughout their history), and as a result, it seems our press is almost siding with the Albanians.
I'd imagine that one of the reasons for the rather positive image Albanians in Macedonia are getting in the western media, is because of the Kosova war. That was a very different situation, but basically, the main idea was that the Albanians there were fighting for their rights. Just as they are now in Macedonia. They were the good guys back then, so they must be the good guys now in Macedonia. Of course I'm oversimplifying it here, but I think you see my point. This time around it's very different, but this is the way the western media seems to portray this situation.
Of course, regardless of Serbia's motives in the Kosova war, the fact remains that they used unnecessary force. Instead of perhaps focusing on members of the KLA, they destroyed entire towns of innocent Albanian civilians. What happened in Kosovo was in a way, understandable. But the violence of Albanians in Macedonia seems completely senseless.
My friend from Kosovo and her family only tell good things about Macedonia, and about how well they're being treated. But I can imagine that Albanian families like these are exceptions, and probably aren't accepted by their own Albanian community because of their good relations with Macedonians. I must say that her entire family is pretty well educated and pretty wealthy, so that probably has a lot to do with it.
I'll even go as far as saying that my Albanian friend here in Belgium is genuinely afraid of most of her fellow Albanians in this country. She actually got threatened in a bar once, by some other Albanians she had never seen before, for no reason whatsoever. Probably because they didn't approve of an Albanian girl just sitting in a bar. I wasn't there when it happened, but now she clearly avoids to even walk around the streets of the area where it happened.
It's a complicated situation indeed, and I'm curious to see how it will evolve, but it doesn't look good, unfortunately. It will probably get a lot worse before it gets any better. It's a shame that if the exact same thing would be happening in a western country like Belgium, it'd be all over the news, and the problem would be dealt with much quicker. It wouldn't be solved immediately or anything, but at least it would get more attention.