Operation Alba
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1997 Albanian civil unrest |
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Fighting groups |
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Gangs of 1997 |
Massacres in 1997 |
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Tragedies of 1997 |
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Treasury thefts |
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Rescue missions |
UN Resolutions |
Important events |
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Operation Alba ("Sunrise" or "Dawn" in
Beginning in early 1997, the Albanian government lost control of much of their country, culminating in the desertion of many police and military units and the looting of their armories. The resulting chaos caused several countries to autonomously evacuate their nationals from Albania, which prompted concerns about the fate of others. The
Beginning on April 15, 7,265 troops were deployed under the command of the operation[4] - of which more than half were Italian nationals - and quickly restored order in Tirana. The primary objectives of the mission included apprehending criminals and collecting looted weapons, but in later months operation troops also helped retrain Albanian forces to modern standards. Operation Alba finally concluded in August, as the last troops were withdrawn from the country.[1]
Causes of the intervention
Operation Alba was launched in response to the serious social crisis that had followed the collapse of major
Timeline of operation
The operation was approved under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1101 for an initial deployment mandate of three months. The force would be led by Italy with the consent of Albania and every involved nation. Only China abstained from voting on the resolution, and there were no votes against it.[9]
Operational command (Comando Operativo Forze Intervento in Albania or COFIA) was centered in Rome under Italian Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Guido Venturoni with the assistance of officers from every member nation of the operation. Venturoni had three Deputy Commanders - a French, a Turkish, and a Greek officer.[10] Additionally, there were three Deputy Chiefs of Staff - a French operations chief, a Turkish logistics chief, and a Greek communications chief.[2] In the theatre, command began under the Navy Commander until April 22, at which time it was transferred to COMFOR General Luciano Forlani.[2][11][12][13]
The operation began on April 15, 1997 with a deployment of 450 French to
Phase two of the operation began on April 23. In this period, the peacekeeping force secured several prominent towns and a staging area for humanitarian efforts.
Elections were held on June 29, with a second round being held on July 6. Under heavy police and observer presence, the socialist party secured a sweeping majority with 72.6% turnout.[9][15]
With some sense of democratic stability restored, the peacekeeping force began its withdrawal. Over the course of phase three, all member nations began redeploying forces away from Albania.[2] The operation officially ended on August 8, 1997, though some forces did not withdraw until August 10.[10]
Composition of the peacekeeping force
The peacekeeping force, primarily made of Italian troops, had the following composition:[2][10][16]
- One Italian Supply regiment
- One Italian Electronic Warfare company
- One Italian Military Intelligence platoon
- One Italian Communications regiment
- Airmobile Brigade "Friuli", comprising
- 6th General Logistic Support Regiment
- 6th Bersaglieri Regiment (supplemented by a German Infantry company)
- One Romanian Infantry battalion
- 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment "Col Moschin"
- One Italian Military Police company
- One Italian Medical battalion
- 151st Infantry Regiment "Sassari"
- 187th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore", supported by
- One Turkish Infantry company
- One French Infantry regiment supported by:
- One Danish Reconnaissance company
- One Turkish Infantry regiment
- One Greek Infantry regiment
- 18th Bersaglieri Regiment
- 1st Carabinieri Paratroopers Regiment "Tuscania", supported by
- One Austrian Infantry company
- One Italian Helicopter regiment
- One Italian Sustainment regiment, comprising
- One Italian Mechanized Infantry company
- One Italian Engineer company
- One Italian Communications platoon
References
- ^ a b Operation Alba Archived 2008-10-21 at the Wayback Machine on the UN website, accessed 2012 November
- ^ a b c d e f g h Colonel Marchio, Riccardo (2000). "OPERATION ALBA": A EUROPEAN APPROACH TO PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN THE BALKANS (PDF). p. iii. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. "This operation,in which 11 European countries took part"
- ^ NATO, NRDC-IT Emblem, accessed November 2011
- ^ a b c "CNN - French, Italian troops lead mission to Albania - Apr. 15, 1997". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "Albanian Rebellion of 1997". www.onwar.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-30. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ "CNN - Italy declares state of emergency over Albanian refugees - Mar. 19, 1997". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ Alì, Maurizio. L’attività di peacekeeping della Forza Multinazionale di Protezione in Albania. (Rome, Italy, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche - Università Roma Tre). 2003.[1]
- ^ a b "Resolution 1101". unscr.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ a b c "1997. THE ALBA MISSION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FMP". Carabinieri. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18.
- ^ ISSN 1353-3312.
- ^ "Albania: Italy's Prime Minister Faces Uncertain Future Over Security Force". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Forlani Lt. Gen. Aus. Luciano". Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Resolution 1114". unscr.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ "ALBANIA: parliamentary elections Kuvendi Popullor, 1997". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
- ^ "Albania - "Alba" - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
External links
- Colonel Marchio, Riccardo (2000). "OPERATION ALBA": A EUROPEAN APPROACH TO PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN THE BALKANS (PDF). Archived from the original on July 23, 2013.
- Contribution of the Hellenic Army in Operation Alba (in Greek)