In 1992 the Democratic Party of Albania won the first free elections in Albania, and Sali Berisha became president. Albania was becoming a liberalized economy after years under a controlled economy. The rudimentary financial system became dominated by Ponzi schemes, and government officials endorsed a series of pyramid investment funds. The schemes were actually fronts for money laundering and arms trafficking.
By January 1997, the number of investors had grown to include two-thirds of the Albanian population of three million. The schemes could no longer make payments, and the people of Albania — who had lost $1.2 billion — took their protest to the streets. Thousands of citizens launched daily protests demanding reimbursement by the government, which they believed was profiting from the schemes.
All major population centers were engulfed in demonstrations by March 13, and foreign countries began to evacuate their citizens. The United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1101, authorized a force of 7,000 to direct relief efforts and to restore order to Albania. On April 15, the troops launched Operation Sunrise, which helped restore rule of law to the country.
All UN forces left Albania by August 11.
