Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Tuesday August 14, 5:02 PM Fighting flares in Macedonia before NATO experts arrive SKOPJE, Aug 14 (AFP) - Fighting erupted again in Macedonia Tuesday ahead of the arrival of NATO experts to prepare for an intervention force to disarm ethnic Albanian guerrillas under a fragile peace accord. Army sources told AFP that rebel gunmen had attacked government positions in the hills north of the mainly ethnic Albanian city of Tetovo and that grenades had been fired at troops based north of the capital Skopje. Government troops returned fire, a military source said. There were no reports of casualties during the clashes. The fighting put a peace accord, signed by party leaders Monday, under pressure. The NATO experts -- expected later Tuesday -- were to prepare for a 3,500 strong force which could deploy within days to set up collection points for ethnic Albanian rebels to surrender their arms, NATO officials said. NATO Secretary General George Robertson said the advisers would reinforce officers already working with Macedonian forces to prepare "Operation Essential Harvest". He said NATO troops are to be deployed in Macedonia while the government enacted measures to address complaints by the large ethnic Albanian minority that they are treated like second-class citizens. The reforms will recognise Albanian as a second official language in those areas predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, boost the number of ethnic Albanians serving in their local police forces and give more autonomy to local government. While the rebels were not represented at the negotiating table, commanders of the so-called National Liberation Army (NLA) have signalled that they accept the peace terms, and were considering laying down their arms. "The NLA accepts the peace accord," Captain Shpati, a rebel spokesman, told AFP by telephone, adding that a decision on whether to hand over NLA weapons to the planned NATO force would be made within two weeks. "The signature of the peace accord represents a victory against Macedonian repression. It's the result of international pressure," Shpati said. The NATO force will not be peacekeepers, and will limit their role to accepting weapons voluntarily handed over by the guerrillas, officials said. It will not go in until there is a "durable" ceasefire, Robertson said. Robertson said that the NATO force would not be deployed until alliance members were convinced that the rebels, who have met with NATO envoys, were ready to back down without a fight. "Clearly there has to be a sustainable ceasefire, there has to be a clear indication from the insurgents that they mean business in terms of disarming completely and handing over all their weapons and all their ammunition," Robertson said. The signing came a week after some of the fiercest fighting yet seen in the Macedonian forces' six-month struggle with ethnic Albanian guerrillas, and few in Skopje were betting on a rapid return to peace. The peace accord was signed in the presence of Robertson, Solana, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chairman Mircea Geoana and Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, whose country now holds the rotating EU presidency. The guerrillas launched a rebellion in February over what they say is a fight for minority rights for ethnic Albanians, who make up around a third of the former Yugoslav republic's population of two million. Boskovski said that as the deal was being signed rebels attacked troops in northwest Macedonia near the mainly ethnic Albanian town of Tetovo and that government forces repulsed an attack coming over the border from Albania. Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, which is providing the bulk of the planned NATO intervention force, said: "Once NATO conditions have been met, NATO's forces, led by the UK, will deploy rapidly". __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
