While European nations worked Thursday on plans to send soldiers to Albania in an international aid force, residents reported more gang murders in this troubled Balkan nation.
Local Albanians spoke of widespread extortion by gangs who threatened to kill victims if not paid off. Many gangs made lists of better-off families in their towns or villages and slipped notes under their doors with deadlines to pay protection money.In Fier, 30 miles south of Tirana, a woman and her 15-year-old son were killed Wednesday after defying a demand to pay up or die, local journalist Hurma Rredi said. Dozens of families have been threatened in Korca, 50 miles southeast of the capital. And residents in the northern city of Shkodra said a gang member was shot Wednesday by a shop owner who refused to pay up.
Premier Bashkim Fino met Thursday with Greek officials and other European leaders in Athens to enlist support and aid for his troubled country. On Wednesday, Eu-ropean military officials met in Rome to plan the Italian-led mission that is supposed to provide for security for the aid shipments and bring some order to the chaos.
The top international envoy for Albania, former Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, has said it will take at least 10 days before the European force of up to 5,000 soldiers moves into Albania. Vran-it-zky was meeting with Fino in Athens Thursday.
Albanian Defense Minister Shaqir Vukaj said the troops will secure main supply roads, ports and the Tirana airport but were not expected to accompany convoys.
"They should be considered more of a police force than an army," Vukaj told the Associated Press.
Albania disintegrated into armed insurrection in February after the collapse of shady investment schemes that cost thousands of Albanians their life savings. Many Albanians, particularly in the south, blame President Sali Berisha for the collapse.
More than 200 people have died and at least 700 have been injured since the rebellion began.