1997 Albanian civil unrest

1997 Albanian civil unrest
Evacuation of the United States citizens during Operation Silver Wake
Date 16 January – 11 August 1997 (6 months, 3 weeks and 5 days) Location Albania Result New parliamentary elections[1]
Belligerents
Rebels Armed civilians who lost their properties Armed Gangs Albanian Army defectors Salvation Committees Socialist Party Social Democratic Party	Government Democratic Party SHIK Part of the Albanian Police Republican Guard UNSC missions  Austria  France  Germany  Greece  Italy  Romania  Spain  Turkey  United States
Commanders and leaders
Fatos Nano Gramoz Ruçi Skënder Gjinushi Albert Shyti Myrteza Çaushi Altin Dardha Due to the power vacuum created by the government's inability to restore order, and the independent activity by armed civilians, gangs and Salvation Committees, there was overall no centralized leadership	Sali Berisha (President) Bashkim Gazidede Safet Zhulali Gazmend Braka Thomas Klestil Jacques Chirac Helmut Kohl Costas Simitis Oscar Luigi Scalfaro Emil Constantinescu José María Aznar Süleyman Demirel Bill Clinton
Strength
Unknown	30,000 soldiers 7,000+ peacekeepers
Casualties and losses
2,000[2] civilians and members of army, police, and secret police.

In 1997, Albania experienced widespread civil unrest due to economic problems caused by the collapse of pyramid schemes. The large sums of money siphoned from the government to fund these schemes led to the collapse of the Democratic Party's government in January 1997. The conflict, which lasted until August 1997, resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people. The establishment of a new government occurred as revolutionaries surrounded Tirana.^[3][4] Various sources also describe the ensuing violence as a rebellion or even a civil war.

By January 1997, Albanian citizens, who had lost a total of $1.2 billion, took their protest to the streets. Beginning in February, thousands of people launched daily protests demanding reimbursement from the government, which they believed had profited from the schemes. On 1 March, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi resigned, and on 2 March, President Sali Berisha declared a state of emergency.^[5]

On 11 March, the Socialist Party of Albania achieved a major victory when its leader, Bashkim Fino, was appointed prime minister. However, the transfer of power did not halt the unrest, and protests spread to northern Albania. Although the government quelled revolts in the north, its ability to maintain order began to collapse, especially in the southern half of the country, which fell under the control of rebels and criminal gangs.^[5]

By 13 March, all major population centers were engulfed in demonstrations, and foreign countries began evacuating their citizens. These evacuations included Operation Libelle, Operation Silver Wake, and Operation Cosmas, conducted by the German, American, and Greek military forces, respectively.^[6] The United Nations Security Council authorized a force of 7,000 troops under Resolution 1101 to direct relief efforts and restore order in Albania. The UN feared that the unrest could spread beyond Albania's borders and send refugees throughout Europe. Consequently, the US and NATO provided assistance by managing refugee camps, airlifting displaced populations across Europe, and securing the borders.^[7] On 15 April, a multinational peacekeeping force launched Operation Alba, which helped restore the rule of law in the country by late July.^[5]

After the rebellion ended, some of the weapons looted from Albanian army barracks and stockpiles were acquired by the Kosovo Liberation Army, with many making their way into the ensuing Kosovo War (1998–1999).^[8][9]