Despite international efforts to prevent conflict in the Republic of Macedonia after the downfall of SFR Yugoslavia, in 2001 the country faced its greatest challenge since its independence. An insurgency movement that started as a spillover from Kosovo declared war on Macedonia. The six-month conflict ended with a framework agreement approving all insurgents' demands. Ten years after, there is still an ongoing debate to explain what really happened in 2001, and why the government did not quell the insurgency. All attempts to define the conflict by the state officials are either general or too vague. The conflict is considered such a controversial subject that the Macedonian politicians, and the international advisers and ambassadors in the country discourage any debate as it is seen as a potential spark between the Macedonians and Albanians. However, the conflict in Macedonia in 2001 is a textbook example of insurgencies in the region. The stability of the Balkan Peninsula depends on the stability of each country and the reality is that such scenarios are still feasible in the Balkans. This thesis evaluates the efficiency of the Macedonian counterinsurgency efforts and, in order to improve them, gives answers why they were not adequate.

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