▁of ▁Is mail ▁Q em ali , ▁Alban ia ' s ▁first ▁prime ▁minister . ▁ ▁The ▁crisis ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁economy ▁in ▁January – F ebru ary ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁impl os ion ▁of ▁the ▁Pon zi ▁py ram id ▁bank ing ▁schemes ▁promoted ▁by ▁the ▁government , ▁increasing ▁ins ur gency ▁in ▁early ▁March ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Police ▁and ▁Republican ▁Guard ▁desert ing ▁en ▁mas se ▁because ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁they ▁were ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁paid , ▁leaving ▁their ▁arm ou ries ▁un locked , ▁which ▁were ▁prompt ly ▁lo oted ▁by ▁parties ▁unknown , ▁believed ▁to ▁mostly ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁local ▁crime ▁bodies ▁and ▁self - app oint ed ▁milit ias : ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁weapons ▁eventually ▁sur fac ed ▁in ▁the ▁eth nic ▁fighting ▁in ▁Kos ovo . ▁▁ ▁The ▁resulting ▁an archy ▁led ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁nations ▁to ▁use ▁military ▁forces ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁citizens , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁UN ▁author ising ▁Operation ▁Al ba ▁(" Day break "), ▁a ▁short - term ▁military ▁stabil isation ▁force ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Italian ▁Army , ▁task ed ▁with ▁facil it ating ▁the ▁rep atri ation ▁of ▁foreign ers ▁and ▁lay ing ▁the ▁found ations ▁for ▁another ▁International ▁Organisation ▁to ▁undert ake ▁the ▁longer - term ▁rest abil isation . ▁The ▁political ▁debate ▁eventually ▁settled ▁in ▁Europe ▁within ▁the ▁body ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁defence ▁diplom atic ▁coord ination ▁of