[Mohoender]

Early this year, the world attention is attracted again toward what is happening in the Balkan Region. UçK attacks suddenly intensify, centered on the Drenica valley area and Serbian police responds to the UçK attacks in the Likosane area. They even pursue some of the UçK to Cirez, resulting in the deaths of 30 Albanian civilians and four Serbian policemen. Then ,on March 5, the

Serb police pursues Jashari and his followers in the village of Donje Prekaz. Ultimately, a massive firefight lead to the massacre of a further 60 Albanians, of which eighteen were women and ten were under the age of sixteen. This event provokes massive condemnation from the western capitals and Pat Buchanan, despite the UçK being listed as a terrorist organization, states that "This should not be considered internal affair of the FRY". A week later, a UN resolution backed by USA, UK and France is vetoed by both China and USSR.

On March 24, Serbian forces surround the village of Glodjane, in the Dukagjin operational zone, and attack a rebel compound there. Despite superior firepower, the Serbs fail to destroy the UçK unit which has been their objective. Neverhteless, there are deaths and severe injuries on the Albanian side and U.S. asks again for a UN resolution. When this is refused President Clinton calls for a press conference in Washington. Accompanied by the Secretary of Defense and by the Joint Chief of Staff, he declares that “the situation in Kosovo is posing a risk to regional stability and represents a direct threat to several NATO members”.

Unable to get UN backing, the U.S. administration turns to NATO and plans are made for an all-out air offensive on Serbia. Nevertheless, as tactical and strategical difficulties appear, the attack is postpone and it becomes obvious that it will not take place before the end of this year. Then,as fightings continue between UçK and Serbian forces, the western countries involved build up charges on Serbia. By year’s end evidences are brought up of a planned ethnic cleansing by the Serbian authorities and, despite strong denial by the Serbs, these evidences are repeatedly presented to the western public. Slowly, the public opinion becomes increasingly supportive of a military intervention and more ships are sent to the area as the number of sortie by NATO aircrafts over the Adriatic Sea increase. Meanwhile, terrorist operations by Kurds and Sunni in both Iraq and southeastern Turkey increase steadily.

Then, Turkey has grown worried about this situation and fills in an official complain to the UN. However, this is dismissed by a veto from UK and USA. When a terrorist attack in Istanbul kills over 100 people, the Turks are chocked. Popular demonstrations take place among all Turkish cities and the American embassy at Ankara is even hit by mortar rounds. Following this, Prime Minister Ahmet Mesut Yilmaz is forced out of office and Necmettin Erbakan of the Welfare Party (Refah Partisi), an Islamist formation, is elected. Soon after, the constitution is amended, Ankara announces that it withdraws from NATO and, in violation to the NATO treaty, all NATO personnels are immediately expelled while many equipments are confiscated. Voices in Washington claims that this is a casus belli but Clinton’s administration, already occupied by the situation in Serbia, favor negociations.

In August, Kabila dismisses all ethnic Tutsis from the government and orders Rwandan and Ugandan officials to leave the DRC. The two countries then turns against their former client and send troops to aid rebels attempting to overthrow Kabila. Soon, the fall of the capital and Kabila, who had spent the previous weeks desperately seeking support from various African nations and Cuba, seems increasingly certain. Nevertheless, Kabila is saved when fellow members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) respond to Kabila's request for help, soon joined by several more nations: Chad, Libya and Sudan. However, these forces are unable to defeat the rebels, and the situation slowly escalates into direct conflict with the national armies of Uganda and Rwanda that form part of the rebel movement. Outside of Africa, most States remain neutral but Western mining and diamond companies, most notably from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan supports the Kabila government in exchange for business deals.