Operation Libelle - Situation in Albania

Situation in Albania

In March 1997 riots spread all over Albania after the breakdown of the financial system which drove the country into a serious economical and social crisis. This crisis culminated in the so-called Lottery Uprising. Thousands of people had lost their entire savings after all pyramids of the usurers had collapsed. The people took their rage against the state on the streets. After army and police weapons depots were looted by the insurgents, the danger for foreign citizens in Albania increased enormously. During the uprising, some 1500 people had been killed. On March 11 all foreigners were told to leave Albania, and Italian and American forces carried out first evacuation operations. On midday of March 13, it was not longer possible to leave the country by conventional means since the rioters had broken down national peace and order. With nowhere to go, 98 persons fled into the German embassy, which had not been evacuated yet.