Macedonia To Ask for War Declaration Posted May 6, 2001
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010505/ts/macedonia.html
Saturday May 5 8:57 PM ET
Macedonia To Ask for War Declaration
By DANICA KIRKA, Associated Press Writer
SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Macedonia's prime minister said Saturday he plans to ask Parliament to declare a state of war, hours after soldiers hammered ethnic Albanian rebel positions with artillery fire in an escalating offensive.
The comments from Prime Minister Ljbuco Georgievski followed a series of rebel ambushes of security forces and the steady bombardment of insurgent positions in the northern part of Macedonia - attacks that have deepened fears the country is on the verge of civil war.
``What is happening on the territory of Macedonia is war,'' Georgievski told reporters outside an emergency session of the Macedonian government leadership. ``Those people who are doing this have the aim of conquering the territory.''
A declaration of a state of war needs the approval of a two-thirds majority of the 120-member Parliament, but it was not immediately clear if the government could round up the support. The legislature was expected to meet Tuesday, but the statements from Georgievski suggested he could try reshuffle the government before that.
If approved, the declaration would give President Boris Trajkovski the power to rule by decree and appoint a government of his choosing. It would also give him the ability to seal the borders, ban public gatherings, and impose a curfew.
Georgievski also said joint action against the rebels could be taken with the government in neighoring Yugoslavia, where ethnic Albanian insurgents operate in of the province of Kosovo.
Ethnic Albanians, who account for roughly a third of Macedonia's 2 million people, argue they are treated as second class citizens and want the constitution rewritten to give them equal status. Fighting between the government and the rebels began in February.
Carlo Ungaro, the Organization for Security and Cooperation (news - web sites)'s Macedonia mission chief, said that at least seven civilians had been killed since Thursday, when the government began the latest offensive against the rebels.
``We have young people dying,'' said Borjanka Stevkovska, nervously straightening the green onions stacked in her market stall in Skopje, the capital. ``From one day to another, it just gets worse.''
The 52-year-old mother of two teen-age daughters can hardly bear to watch the evening news with its reports of dead soldiers, burning villages and diplomatic wrangling - the somber signposts warning of another Balkan country slowing slipping toward instability.
Just 15 miles to the north, the government pummeled what it said were ``selective'' targets, unleashing rockets from helicopter gunships and firing cannon and grenades at rebel command posts and sniper nests in villages dotting the border with Yugoslavia.
So far, world leaders, including President Bush (news - web sites), have backed Macedonia in its steadfast refusal to negotiate with the rebels, whom the government views as terrorists trying to seize territory and carve out an ethnic Albanian state.
The police and army ordered civilians to evacuate five villages, describing it as a precaution. Authorities demanded that people in five other villages also leave amid claims that the insurgents were using 3,500 people as ``human shields.''
But the rebels accused the government of firing indiscriminately at civilians and denied that villagers were being used as shields.
Three Macedonian soldiers were wounded when their vehicle hit an anti-tank mine planted by the rebels, Defense Ministry spokesman Gjorgji Trendafilov said.
Earlier Saturday, Trajkovski summoned leaders of major political parties, including ethnic Albanians, and announced an ``agreed-upon'' five-point plan to solve the crisis, starting with an evacuation of civilians from the fighting area.
He pledged to include more representatives of ethnic minorities in a decentralized government; strengthen the rule of law; crack down on organized crime; include some minority languages in official use; and ``strengthen the civil concept of Macedonia'' as a nation.
Rumors circulated among ethnic Albanians in the capital that the government wants the civilians to flee so it can raze the border villages, creating an internal buffer zone between the rebels and their ethnic kin in the southern Yugoslav province of Kosovo.
More subtle divisions between ethnic groups have cropped up in Skopje. Xhemajl Fazliu, 27, an ethnic Albanian, looked over his shoulder before complaining that his Slavic-speaking neighbors would no longer buy his cabbages, potatoes and paprikas.
``Every day I would deal with the same people. Now they just greet me and go away,'' he said. ``I come here, but I don't feel safe.''
The increasing unease follows days of riots that shook the southern city of Bitola after the funerals of some of eight soldiers killed in a rebel ambush April 28. The government describes the riots, which destroyed some 40 ethnic Albanian businesses, as an expression of outrage to terrorism.
Ethnic Albanians suggest the melee was a warning that they had better watch out.
NATO (news - web sites) and the European Union (news - web sites), fearing fresh bloodshed, are sending envoys to Macedonia. The EU's security affairs chief, Javier Solana, planned to arrive Sunday and NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson was to join him Monday.
NAAC Condemns Macedonian Bombing Campaign Posted May 6, 2001
National Albanian American Council
2000 L Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 416-1627
Fax: (202) 416-1628
Email: NAACDC@aol.com
______________________________________________________________________
Press Release
NAAC Condemns Macedonian Bombing Campaign
In the last two days the Macedonian government has been bombing civilian villages in Kumonove. The National Albanian American Council issued the following statement in response to these events:
We strongly condemn the recent military offensive by the Macedonian government against Albanian villages of Vaksince, Lipkove and others in the Kumanove area in Macedonia. The failure of President Trajkovski and the Macedonian government to engage in dialogue that adequately addresses the concerns raised by Albanians in Macedonia has only led to an escalation of tension in the region.
On Thursday, Macedonian helicopters and tanks opened an offensive against Albanians and Albanian villages in Macedonia. Reports from the Associated Press indicate that rockets were fired at the village of Vaksince, near alleged NLA outposts. Civilian residents of Vaksince, Lipkove and upwards of eleven other villages were ordered by Macedonian authorities to evacuate. The Associated Press has issued unconfirmed reports of civilian casualties that can be attributed to the bombing. Additionally, an estimated 50 Albanian businesses were destroyed during rioting in the village of Monastir (Bitola).
As a result of the Macedonian offensive, hundreds of refugees fled their homes to neighboring Kosova, saying that they had been fired upon by Macedonian helicopter gunships. According to the refugees, nearly the entire village of Vejce abandoned their homes after army helicopters dropped troops and fired toward the village. An estimated 900 refugees fled Macedonia into Kosova, according to the Associated Press.
NATO officials have urged the Macedonian government to show restraint. NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson appealed to the government to "take the political high ground" in their actions towards the Albanian rebels.
We urge all sides to lay down their arms and peacefully leave areas where they are putting civilians at risk. NAAC is hesitant to believe reports that the NLA has been holding civilian hostages. However, even if these reports are accurate, it is unconscionable for the Macedonian government to bomb areas where civilians are present. Furthermore, if the civilians were Slavic Macedonian, and not Albanian as alleged, the government would not have bombed these areas. We are deeply offended by the evident disregard for Albanian lives and insist that the bombing campaign stop immediately.
The government has a responsibility to protect all civilians. The fact that the Macedonian government has not reacted to recent incidents of violence towards Albanian civilians only reinforces the claims of the NLA, and all Albanians in Macedonia, that they are not treated as full citizens of Macedonia. Stores were looted, Albanian civilians beaten and killed, and villages bombed with little regard for civilian lives. Indeed, President Trajkovski continues to assert that there is no practice of discrimination or repression in Macedonia.
We urge the United States government to take a tough, but even handed, stance to the current crisis in Macedonia. We call on the State Department to demand that the Macedonian government cease its bombing campaign on the villages. The only way to end the fighting in Macedonia is through dialogue aimed at achieving real political change. Violence is not the path to resolve differences, but the concerns and grievances of the Albanians are legitimate, as has been recognized by the international community. The actions of the Macedonian government against civilians in villages in northern Macedonia only serve to polarize the two ethnic groups, making a political solution even more difficult to achieve.
The National Albanian American Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering in the United States a greater understanding of Albanian issues, and to promoting peace, human rights, and economic development in the Balkans. NAAC is also committed to helping train future leaders in the region and provide targeted humanitarian assistance to children and their families who are recovering from the after-effects of war. For more information, please contact Martha Vedder at (202) 416-1627.
Macedonian Opposition: Conflict Is Internal Not Imported Posted May 5, 2001
Macedonian Opposition Alters Stand;
Conflict Is Internal Not Imported
May 5, 2001
SKOPJE (KosovaLive) - Macedonian opposition is convinced that after the incidents around Kumanova in recent days are not imported from Kosova, but is caused by internal problems, high Macedonian officials of the opposition said this weekend.
"The problems in Macedonia are internal and now it is clear to everyone that the problem was not imported from Kosova," Nikola Popovski, said the coordinator of the main opposition party in the Parliamentary group (the Social Democratic League of Macedonia.)
Popovski asked that from now on "the government and president should not manipulate with our opinion with 'conflicts that come from the outside' because the problem is internal." (ar)
Villagers Refuse Offer Of Red Cross To Leave Slupcan Posted May 5, 2001
SLUPCAN/PRISHTINA (KosovaLive) - The team of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that offered to evacuate the wounded villagers in Slupcan Saturday, returned barehanded after the Albanian villagers refused to leave their village.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross refused to comment on details of their visit to Slupcan. "We were there only for a half-hour visit. We visited the wounded and left some aid for the ambulance of the village," a spokesman of the Red Cross in Macedonia said. She said that she is not authorized to describe the humanitarian situation in the village, which was mostly assaulted by the shelling in the zone.
However, Likova's prefect said via telephone that 10 villagers were killed and tens of others were wounded in the shelling. Around 100 to 200 houses were damaged and destroyed.
The shelling began again after noon Saturday by helicopters and tanks positioned in the zone.
"The population in the villages of Likova are stuck in their homes and even though horrified, they still remain there. A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross has managed to get to this zone to take the residents to Kumanova, but the villagers refused to leave their homes," said Hysamedin Halili, president of the Likova municipality, the villages of which municipality are being destroyed by the shelling. According to Halili, the need for food is increasing.
Halili told KosovaLive that he was skeptic in achieving an agreement. "You cannot reach an agreement with fire from helicopters and tanks," he said. Nevertheless, he said he was in continuous contact with the Albanian leaders in Macedonia in order to overcome the situation.
A commander of the National Liberation Army (NLA) in the zone said via telephone that the situation in Slupcan is unbearable for the civil population. However, according to him, NLA soldiers are present in the area to support and assist the Albanian population there. (la)
PPD Reports Situation In Macedonia Could Get Out Of Control Posted May 4, 2001
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm
PPD Reports Situation In Macedonia Could Get Out Of Control
May 4, 2001
TETOVA (KosovaLive) - The security situation in Macedonia is quite dramatic and could escalate out of control at any moment, the president of Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP), Imer Imeri, said Friday in Tetova. He criticized the Macedonian government, but at the same time called upon both sides of the conflict to give up their weapons and sit around a negotiation table and begin dialogue in finding a solution to the crises.
"The incidents in the villages near Kumanova clearly show that the Macedonian government is not willing to solve the crisis but, on the contrary, is escalating it," Imeri said. According to Imeri, the ultimatum given by the Macedonian Prime Minister to the Albanian population in the conflict zone that they should leave their houses before the offensive begins, is only a "bluff" of the government. "The Macedonian army began the shelling much earlier than the ultimatum expired. In fact, the government deceived the inhabitants," Imeri told journalists. According to him, the PPD is concerned about the condition of the population in the villages of the conflict at this moment. Imeri said that the PPD "fears that such operations could lead to a humanitarian disaster and cause retaliation of wide dimensions."
Imeri once again emphasized that the solution of current political problems with weapons is not preferable and that PPD requesting that both sides give up their weapons and in order to create an atmosphere of serious and effective talks. (si)
Candy Store Attacked With Bomb in Skopje Posted May 4, 2001
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm
Candy Store Attacked With Bomb in Skopje
May 4, 2001
SKOPJE (KosovaLive) - A bomb was thrown at the Palma candy store in Skopje after 1 p.m. Friday, owned by a Muslim Slav.
Sources from Macedonia's Ministry of Internal Affairs in Skopje said the candy store was attacked with a bomb, and there were no victims in the incident. However, there was considerable material damage.
The attack in Palma happened on the second night of the firearm attacks against Albanians and burning of Albanian businesses, in which one person from Kosova lost his life. (ar)
Villages Of Opaja and Hotel near Kumanova Shelled, Situation Escalates Posted May 4, 2001
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm
Villages Of Opaja and Hotel near Kumanova Shelled, Situation Escalates
May 4, 2001
SKOPJE/KUMANOVA (KosovaLive) - Macedonian forces are shelling two more Albanian villages in the Kumanovo area, northeast of Skopje Friday. Albanian sources from the area reported that shelling was taking place in the villages of Opaja and Hotel, describing the situation as tense and escalating.
The shelling started Friday 8 a.m., when Albanian journalists saw Macedonian special units called "Wolfs" and "Scorpions" firing on the villages from positions at Kumanova's civil airport.
Two elderly Albanain males, Ramiz Demiri (63) and Remzi Osmani (54), were killed and three others were wounded, including a nine-year old girl, in the Macedonian offensive Thursday afternoon in the village of Slupcane. Albanian sources in the area said tens of Albanian homes were destroyed in Slupcane and Vaksince, which were the target of the offensive of the Macedonian forces.
However, local leaders from the area said the Albanian inhabitants of the villages have preferred to take refugee in their basements rather than leave their villages in response to the government ultimatum.
"Not one of the residents has moved, they are all in their basements," Husamedin Hasani, president of the Likova municipality, said. "The situation is very serious. We appeal to the international factor to intervene in solving the crises," he added.
Meanwhile, the forces of the National Liberation Army (NLA) said that a Macedonian helicopter was taken down during its flight over Slupcan. An NLA commander said that the NLA is ready to face possible ground offensives.
"They Are Burning Us Alive," Residents of Slupcan Call For Help Posted May 4, 2001
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm
"They Are Burning Us Alive," Residents of Slupcan Call For Help
May 4, 2001
PRISHTINA (KosovaLive) - The number of victims comes to at least five from the shelling of villages near Kumanova, Albanian sources from the conflict zone reported.
Besides the two killed in last night's shelling in Slupcan, Albanian sources said three residents of Vaksince lost their lives during Thursday's shelling. The same resources reported that a helicopter of the Macedonian forces helicopter was taken down at around 11 a.m. and two tanks were put on fire. One NLA soldier is also reported to have been wounded.
Contacted through a mobile phone, 34-year old Iljaz from the village of Slupcan told KosovaLive that his seven-member family is hiding in the basement of their house together with 33 other resident of the village.
"We are all gathered in the basement and nobody dares to go out. We are afraid that they will burn as alive. The Macedonians don't care where they shell, and they are also shoot at civilians," Iljazi said, explaining that the bombing had continued throughout last night and today until 2 p.m. Two elderly people of the village were killed and two children wounded.
"We are all here. All five thousand residents of the village do not intend to leave the village, even though we do not have electricity or any contact with the outside world as our phones are down," Iljazi said.
He also said the National Liberation Army forces are in village.
"We feel safe while they are her to protect us. Who knows what would happened to us if they were not here," he added.
Iljazi also said that even though the villagers have little food reserves, food is not a problem. "We do not even think about eating since yesterday," he said. (al)
Seven Killed In Slupcan And Vaksince While Residents Refuse To Leave Homes Posted May 4, 2001
KosovaLive 4 May 2001
http://kosovalive.com/english/english.htm
Seven Killed In Slupcan And Vaksince While Residents Refuse To Leave Homes
May 4, 2001 PRISHTINA (KosovLive) - As a result of the shelling by the Macedonian military and police forces, at least seven persons were killed and many others wounded in the last two days.
Macedonian forces shelled the villages of the Likova and Kumanova municipalities using all artillery in disposition, sources of KosovaLive informed from the field. According to the same recourses, the most powerful shelling went on in the villages of Slupcan and Vaksince. More than half of the houses in Slupcan have been destroyed from the shelling of Macedonian forces.
"One helicopter of the Macedonian forces was taken down and a number of tanks were destroyed, while the National Liberation Army forces (UCK) were trying to protect the civilians being attacked not only from the air but also from the positions of the Macedonian forces from a distance," Hysni Shaqiri, former deputy of the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) who joined the UCK, told KosovaLive Friday.
Shaqiri said that the Albanian political parties should be aware that they cannot play with the fate of the people. "I think that what the NLA requests is a reality that belongs to political parties as well, but they are not in a position to do this."
"The fact that the demands are very realistic, political parties also have a historical responsibility toward the people and the conditions that the Albanian population is facing at the moment," Shaqiri said.
The president of the Likova municipality, Hysamedin Halili, also confirmed for KosovaLive, about the seven killed and several wounded.
"It is a war. People are hiding inside their basements; they are still in the village not wanting to leave their houses. The Macedonian government has given an ultimatum to leave the village until 4 p.m., but nobody has left the village," Halili said.
While the shelling continues even after 4:30 p.m., the city of Kumanova awaits the curfew that begins from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. (hm)
Press-Release: "Liria Kombtare": What is happening in Macedonia? How can we help? Posted May 4, 2001
http://www.liriakombtare.com/
Press-Release:
"Liria Kombtare" / "National Freedom"
What is happening in Macedonia? How can we help?
The Staten Island and Brooklyn (NY) chapter of the Humanitarian Foundation "Liria Kombtare" with hold informative gathering at Ideal Restaurant, Staten Island, NY.
Where: Ideal Restaurant
630 Midland Ave, Staten Island, 10306 NY
When: Saturday, May 5th, 2001
Time: 3:00PM
In the last few days the Macedonian forces have indiscriminately fired on the Albanian populated areas wounding many civilians.
The purpose of the meeting is to inform the Albanian and the American public about the current humanitarian situation in Macedonia which has resulted in the past few days.
In addition, the public will be informed about the various ways it can help the Albanian people in Macedonia affected by the aggression of the Macedonian forces.
"National Freedom"
Humanitarian Foundation
456 River St.
Paterson, NJ 07524
Tel: (973) 684-2104
NAAC Disappointed After Meeting with Trajkovski Posted May 4, 2001
National Albanian American Council
2000 L Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 416-1627 Fax: (202) 416-1628
Email: NAACDC@aol.com
http://www.naac.org
Press Release
NAAC Disappointed After Meeting with Trajkovski
Washington, DC, May 3, 2001: Members of the National Albanian American Council ("NAAC") met Tuesday with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski. The meeting focused on the current crisis in Macedonia. NAAC issued the following statement after that meeting:
On Tuesday we met with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski to discuss the current crisis in Macedonia. We came away from that meeting very disappointed.
In September 1999, we organized a fact-finding trip to the Balkans, which included Congressman Eliot Engel and human rights activist Bianca Jagger. During that trip, we met with Trajkovski, who was then a candidate for the Presidency. At that time, Trajkovski openly admitted that Albanians suffered discrimination. He added that he sympathized with the Albanians because, as a protestant, he too is a minority. Trajkovski pledged that, if elected, his number one priority would be to eradicate that discrimination and to make Albanians full partners in Macedonia. We were very encouraged after that meeting in 1999.
On Tuesday, however, we encountered a different Boris Trajkovski. While he talked about reforms his government is considering, he dismissed the grievances of the Albanians. Trajkovski asserted that Macedonia has the best minority rights practices in the world, even better than the United States. He rejected a comment that extremists on both sides were driving the agenda in Macedonia, insisting instead that there are extremists only on the Albanian side. Trajkovski disagreed that his government needed to quickly announce support for fundamental reforms, arguing that much has been done to accommodate the Albanians and that further reforms must come over time. He also continues to assert that the current conflict has been exported from Kosova, despite evidence to the contrary. One of his aides argued that the vast majority of Albanians who live in Macedonia are immigrants who came there looking for a better life - the implication being that Albanians are not an indigenous population.
We were taken aback by Trajkovski and his advisor's views during our meeting. We expected to find a willing partner for peace, and instead found someone who was dismissive of the concerns of nearly 40 percent of Macedonia's citizens.
Most objective observers in the West agree that Albanians in Macedonia are treated like second class citizens. In fact, the United States, in its 2000 country report, says that "societal discrimination against. . .ethnic Albanians was a problem." Others, such as the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, report that "discrimination in Macedonia is widespread." The International Crisis Group argues that "if the government of Macedonia does not want federalization, it should declare its commitment to the full and equal integration of all nationalities."
We strongly believe that Macedonia will only be able to avoid a full-scale conflict if the government of Boris Trajkovski seizes this moment and takes bold steps to change the way in which Albanians are treated. Such steps include amending the Constitution and embracing a series of legal reforms that would make Albanians equal citizens. Unfortunately, Trajkovski does not now seem willing to entertain such changes. The views he expressed during our meeting make us fearful about the immediate future in Macedonia.
Consequently, we urge the United States and the European Union to continue pressuring Macedonia to adopt a comprehensive program to address the grievances of the Albanians. The West has set June 15th as a deadline for achieving significant results from the current all-party talks. We believe that this deadline should not be changed.
We also urge the government of Macedonia to fully accept the reality on the ground - Macedonia is a multi-ethnic state where Slavic Macedonians are the privileged class. Such a situation can no longer stand. Albanians deserve to be treated as equals, as do all citizens of Macedonia. We hope the Macedonian government acts to achieve this goal before it is too late.
The recent upsurge in violence in Macedonia has given us cause for concern. NAAC has consistently condemned violence as an instrument for change, as well a tool of repression or retribution. The only way to achieve peace and political reform is through open and constructive dialogue. We encourage the participants in the all-party talks, and particularly the Macedonian government, to produce concrete reforms and secure the future of Macedonia for all its citizens.
The National Albanian American Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering in the United States a greater understanding of Albanian issues, and to promoting peace, human rights, and economic development in the Balkans. NAAC is also committed to helping train future leaders in the region and provide targeted humanitarian assistance to children and their families who are recovering from the after-effects of war. For more information, please contact Martha Vedder at (202) 416-1627.
[Macedonian] EXTREMIST GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACKS ON ETHNIC ALBANIAN SHOPS Posted May 4, 2001
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 5, No. 86, Part II, 4 May 2001
website: http://www.rferl.org/newsline/
EXTREMIST GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACKS ON ETHNIC ALBANIAN SHOPS
A previously unknown group calling itself the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization "Todor Aleksandrov" issued a statement on 3 May claiming it is leading the rioters' attacks on ethnic Albanian shops and other properties, the Beta news agency reported in Skopje. The organization said it is targeting business owners that give financial support to the UCK. It claims to have some 1,200 armed fighters "active" in almost all cities and towns in western Macedonia. PB
Rebel villages in flames as Macedonians step up attack Posted May 4, 2001
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010504/1/ofhd.html
Friday May 4, 6:33 PM
Rebel villages in flames as Macedonians step up attack
KUMANOVO, Macedonia, May 4 (AFP) - Macedonian forces on Friday blasted ethnic Albanian guerrillas in northern villages for a second day after the gunmen emerged from a month's hiding to shatter the fragile peace and raise fears of a new Balkans conflict.
Non-stop artillery fire Friday morning shook the hills around the village of Vaksince, seized by the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) on Thursday after its guerrillas shot dead two Macedonian soliders patrolling the area, and captured a third.
Thick smoke swirled above several villages, while houses could be seen blazing from the hills outside the city of Kumanovo overlooking Vaksince and Slupcane, both in rebel hands.
Witnesses said the artilery barrage had been going on since early morning, targetting all the villages in the area controlled by the rebels, who say they are fighting for more rights for Macedonia's large ethnic Albanian minority.
The army cannons were firing from two positions at the foot of the hills in which the rebel strongholds are located.
The attack appeared to be easing off towards noon (10:00 GMT).
One rebel commander, speaking to AFP by phone from Slupcane, said the shelling had killed two elderly Albanian men, both civilians in their sixties hit by shrapnel in Vaksince.
The International Committee for the Red Cross confirmed that two civilians had been killed, but said they died in Slupcane.
Commander Ali Daja said two other civilians had been wounded by mortars falling inside the village.
The government made a public appeal to villagers to leave the area by 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) Thursday, when the offensive was launched.
Skopje accused the rebels of holding the villagers in Vaksince hostage in the cellars of houses, while they fired from upper storeys.
The European Union, which condemned the "renewed acts of violence by ethnic Albanian extremists," called on the NLA in a statement "to stop the violence, to release the hostages and withdraw immediately".
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Thursday Washington had "urged the government of Macedonia to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties as they take the necessary steps to uphold the rule of law."
Daja said there had been no losses among his men, and accused the Macedonians of firing throughout the night, while Skopje said it had suspended its attack late Thursday.
The shelling resumed early Friday, officials said.
Daja told AFP his forces had shot down two Russian-made Mi-24 helicopters being used by the army to strafe guerrilla positions, though Macedonian military officials immediately denied the claim.
Army spokesman Blagoja Markovski said the operations would continue "as long as necessary" to break the armed resistance that has menaced Macedonia's stability since February.
The sudden re-emergence of the guerrillas to seize a chunk of Macedonian territory close to the Serbian boder has exploded government claims in late March that it had broken the guerrillas as an organised force.
Instead they appear to have taken the time to regroup and plan their next offensive.
Thursday's lightning guerrilla operation -- in which they forced Macedonian troops to withdraw Vaksince, set up roadblocks and checkpoints -- appears to have caught the government on the backfoot.
The Macedonian Slav majority was still reeling from the killing of eight security officers last weekend near Tetovo, when a patrol ventured in territory near the northwestern border with Kosovo held by the guerrillas.
The funeral of four of the policemen in Bitola Monday sparked two nights of anti-Albanian rioting, further escalating ethnic tensions in the already strained country.
Night-time curfews are in place in the three major cities Tetovo, Bitola and Kumanovo.
The resurgence of violence has also burdened efforts to press ahead with a political dialogue on improving the lot of ethnic Albanians, which the interantional community has urged Skopje to continue as a means of defusing the crisis.
The government promised the European Union the talks with ethnic Albanian political leaders would turn up concrete results by June, but the minority representatives have accused Skopje of stalling.
The international community has given its support to a restrained military response by Skopje.
But a Balkans analyst at the capital's military academy said Thursaday that policy had failed and that Macedonianb was close to civil war.
The British ambassador to Skopje, Mark Dickinson, also said Thursday the NLA's aim was civil war.
Macedonia villagers caught in crossfire Posted May 4, 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1311000/1311717.stm
Friday, 4 May, 2001, 03:01 GMT 04:01 UK
Macedonia villagers caught in crossfire
The United States has urged the Macedonian Government to avoid civilian casualties in its latest offensive against ethnic Albanian guerrillas.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the US condemned the "unprovoked killings" of two Macedonian soldiers in an ambush early on Thursday, and said it supported a "measured response" to Albanian attacks.
In response to the rebel ambush, Macedonian helicopter gunships and artillery fired on and around the village of Vackcince on Thursday afternoon.
The Macedonian forces had ordered people in 11 villages near the north-eastern city of Kumanovo to evacuate, but both the army and the rebels said some villagers had remained.
The authorities have imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the area, but correspondents say government forces are ready to resume their offensive on Friday morning.
'All available means'
The BBC's Nick Wood in Skopje says in spite of the fact that few civilians have actually left the area, the army seems determined to push ahead with its operation to flush out the rebels.
The rebel NLA appears equally determined, and have responded to the latest Macedonian attacks with mortar fire.
While Macedonian television reported that the army was using "all available means" against the insurgents, rebel leaders accused the military of indiscriminately shelling the villages of Slupcane and Vakcince - an accusation denied by army spokesman, Gjordi Trendafilov, who said they were acting selectively in an effort to protect civilian lives.
It was in Vakcince where two Macedonian soldiers died at Vakcince early on Thursday morning as they were returning from a night border patrol, while a third was captured.
Fading hopes
Our correspondent says the emergence of the gunmen in Vakcince and Slupcane has caused considerable concern in the government, which claimed in March it had flushed rebels of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army out of the country.
An ambush on police and soldiers near the north-western town of Tetovo on Saturday, in which eight members of the security forces were killed, made clear they were back.
As the situation deteriorates, analysts say there seems to be little hope of a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Talks between the majority Macedonian and minority Albanian communities were under way when the rebels resumed their strikes last weekends.
And there have been frequent warnings that the conflict could easily re-ignite.
The Albanians are demanding greater recognition in the constitution, as well as better representation in the administration and increased use of the Albanian language.
Albanian rebels swear no one will leave Macedonian village Posted May 3, 2001
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010503/1/ocpx.html
Thursday May 3, 9:57 PM
Albanian rebels swear no one will leave Macedonian village
OTLJA, Macedonia, May 3 (AFP) -
Ethnic Albanian rebels swore Thursday that no one would respond to a government call to evacuate villages ahead of an expected army assault following clashes which left two Macedonian soliders dead.
"Nobody, nothing, not even a hen, will leave this village" close to Vaksince where the latest killing occurred, declared Haxhi, a man who said he was a member of the self-styled National Liberation Army (NLA).
The government had earlier called on all villagers in the area to quit their homes and register for temporary shelter in the nearby town of Kumanovo or Lipkovo village.
The call appeared to be preparing the ground for an army assault on the rebel-held village.
"The government is attacking us, we don't have anywhere to go," said Ibrahim Halili, a member of the local council in Otlje, a village of 4,000 inhabitants some 15 kilometres (10 miles) south of the Vaksince.
People in Otlje said army and police vehicles had been seen the night before, but since morning the rebels had taken up positions at the roads leading in and out of the village.
Two muffled explosions could be heard in Otlja, coming from the direction of Vaksince some 15 kilometres (10 miles) to the north at around 3:00 pm, the deadline set by the government for people to leave the area.
Two military helicopters were also seen overflying the area, villagers said.
Army spokesman Blagoje Markovski said there were "activities going on. M24 helicopters are patrolling the area."
The government appeal was being broadcast on national television every 10 minutes, but nobody appeared to be leaving, according to an AFP reporter in Otlja.
Interior ministry spokesman Stevo Pendarovski said that "according to reports from the area, some people are leaving, but not many."
North of Otlje the road was controlled by the NLA rebels, while army roadblocks made the approach to the villages of Vaksince, Lojane and Slupcane impossible.
Authorities discovered a huge illegal weapons stash two years in Lojane, on the Kosovo border, during the war in the Serbian province.
State radio, which said two guerrillas were killed in the early morning clash Thursday, reported that Slupcane had been declared "liberated territory" by the rebels.
Macedonian Television Pulls Plug on Second Edition of Albanian News Posted May 3, 2001
Macedonian Television Pulls Plug on Second Edition of Albanian News
April 30, 2001
http://www.kosovalive.com
SKOPJE (KosovaLive) - The General Director of the Macedonian Radio Television (RTVM), Lubco Jakimovski, halted broadcast of the second edition of the Albanian news program in this television station.
According to members of the Albanian editorial office in RTVM, after laying off an Albanian broadcaster a few days ago, with this decision director Jakimovski is trying to breakup the three-hour daily roadcast
in the Albanian language. Meanwhile, the government has decided that programs in Albanian would be broadcasted for nine hours from december.
If the two orders of the RTVM director are not withdrawn, the Albanian employees have warned that they will boycott work starting Thursday.
(ar)
Killings Threaten Macedonia's Search for Peace Posted May 3, 2001
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010503/wl/balkans_macedonia_dc_6.html
Thursday May 3 8:11 AM ET
Killings Threaten Macedonia's Search for Peace
By Kole Casule
SKOPJE (Reuters) - Ethnic Albanian rebels killed two Macedonian soldiers on Thursday, hours after President Bush (news - web sites) gave his backing to a search for a political solution in the troubled Balkan country.
Defense Ministry spokesman Georgi Trendafilov told reporters the rebels ambushed a border patrol in an armored vehicle early on Thursday on the outskirts of Vakcince village northeast of the capital Skopje.
Two soldiers were killed and a third was captured while others escaped. Interior Ministry spokesman Stevo Pendarovski appealed to the population of Vakcince and neighboring villages to leave the area and head to the town of Kumanovo by 3 p.m. (9:00 a.m. EDT).
``We also call on the terrorists to let the people get out and not use them as a live shield. We call on the terrorists to surrender,'' Pendarovski said, indicating a possible government military offensive.
Vakcince is on a road leading to the area where Macedonia borders Kosovo and southern Serbia.
A Reuters crew in Kumanovo saw a column of security troops and armored cars heading toward the area. The Kumanovo region has a potentially explosive mix of Slav Macedonians, local Serbs and ethnic Albanians.
The government press service said Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski would take over the defense ministry until a new minister was appointed.
Defense Minister Resigns
Spokesman Antonio Milosovski said Georgievski had accepted the resignation which Defense Minister Ljuben Pawnovski offered on Monday over a row which the local media linked to transfers of funds to a private firm run by his father-in-law.
Last Saturday, ethnic Albanian guerrillas killed eight Macedonian troops in the Tetovo area northwest of Skopje.
It was the highest casualty toll in a single incident since the conflict between security forces and ethnic Albanian rebels of the National Liberation Army (NLA) erupted in the former Yugoslav republic in February.
The official death toll including Thursday's killings is three civilians, 13 soldiers and seven policemen. Rebel casualties were not known.
Four other people, including a British television producer, were killed in a mortar attack on a village in Kosovo close to the border. The origin of the bombardment is still under investigation.
Macedonia has won strong Western backing for its fight against the rebels but is under international pressure to make concessions to its Albanian minority, who form about a third of the country's two million people.
Last Saturday's killings were followed by anti-Albanian riots by Macedonian Slavs in several areas.
Both the killings and the riots have triggered international condemnation and renewed fears that a new ethnic war is about to break out in the Balkans, Europe's most troubled region.
The NLA, in a statement received by Reuters in the Albanian capital, repeated its demand for inclusion in political talks, which the government has ruled out, and appealed to Macedonian Albanians to stay calm.
Bush Offers Support
In Washington on Wednesday, Bush offered support for Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski's efforts to find a political solution.
``The president stressed the importance of breaking the cycle of violence, the potential cycle of violence, and the importance of leadership in uniting the people,'' a senior administration official said.
``These guys out there with guns, they want to promote violence, they want to stop this political dialogue from happening,'' he said.
``And the challenge for the government is to make sure that the political dialogue continues and that the guys with guns aren't able to stop them.''
The White House said the United States would increase bilateral economic and military assistance.
Macedonia's two main parties, representing Slavs and ethnic Albanians, appealed on Wednesday for calm and warned that a wave of violence against ethnic Albanians could further destabilize the troubled Balkan country.
Macedonia orders evacuation of rebel-held area Posted May 3, 2001
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/3e29b0fa553f42fec1256a410053628d?OpenDocument
Macedonia orders evacuation of rebel-held area
SKOPJE, May 3 (AFP) - Macedonian authorities on Thursday ordered a full evacuation of a northern village where two soldiers were killed in clashes, apparently to clear the area of civilians ahead of an army offensive. The interior and defence ministries told residents to leave Vaksince and the surrounding area by 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) and register for temporary shelter in Kumanovo and Lipkovo, interior ministry spokesman Stevo Pendarovski said.
Two Macedonian soldiers were killed earlier in Vaksince, located some 25 kilometers (18 miles) north of Skopje, following the weekend slaying of eight security officers by the ethnic Albanian guerrillas in the northwest.
One soldier who fell off a troop carrier during the incident was captured by the rebels, defence ministry spokesman Georgi Trendafilov told reporters.
State radio said two guerrillas were killed in the clash and that the rebels had declared the nearby village of Slupcane "liberated territory.".
Pendarovski urged the guerrillas, who say they are fighting for more rights for the large ethnic Albanian minority in Macedonia, not to block the evacuation and not to use villagers as a human shield.
Trendafilov said the other soldiers had succeeded in pulling back from the scene of the clashes, which occurred at around 5:30 am (0330 GMT) and join up with reinforcements, which included two tanks and another troop transporter.
Two years ago, during the Kosovo war, Macedonian authorities found a huge stash of illegal weapons in the village of Lojane, just a few kilometres north of Vaksince on the border with mainly-Albanian Kosovo, which is now under UN administration.
jmi-ks/jh/cml AFP
Powell Pledges U.S. Solidarity with FYR Macedonia Posted May 3, 2001
01 May 2001 Transcript: Powell Pledges U.S. Solidarity with FYR Macedonia (Press remarks following meeting with President Trajkovski) (1150)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters May 1 in Washington that he reaffirmed U.S. solidarity with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia during his meeting with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski.
Powell said he also expressed "the United States' total commitment to territorial integrity of Macedonia; our commitment to this democracy which is facing dastardly and cowardly acts from terrorists and terrorist organizations that are trying to subvert the democratic process."
He said they discussed the steps the Macedonian government is taking to address the concerns of minority ethnic Albanians, and Powell also "made the point ... that we must not allow terrorists to derail political reconciliation."
The Secretary also expressed condolences for the loss of eight Macedonian soldiers who were killed in an attack by ethnic Albanian extremists April 28.
Trajkovski vowed that "political dialogue [will] never stop in Macedonia.... My vision is to create a society which will be based on the individuals, not on the ethnic groups ... and that we are going to discuss for the rights of all citizens" in FYR Macedonia.
Following is a transcript of the press availability following their meeting:
(begin transcript)
U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman May 1, 2001
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL AT STAKEOUT FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH HIS EXCELLENCY BORIS TRAJKOVSKI, PRESIDENT OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
May 1, 2001 C Street Entrance Harry S Truman Building
SECRETARY POWELL: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, or good afternoon, as the case may be. It was my great pleasure to host my now good friend, the President of Macedonia. President Trajkovski and I have talked a number of times on the phone, and we've met twice in the last month. He hosted me in Macedonia last month where we had an excellent series of meetings.
And in our meeting today, I once again had the opportunity to express solidarity with Macedonia; the United States' total commitment to territorial integrity of Macedonia; our commitment to this democracy which is facing dastardly and cowardly acts from terrorists and terrorist organizations that are trying to subvert the democratic process in Macedonia.
I discussed with the President the steps that he has been taking with the leaders of his coalition government to deal with some of the concerns expressed by ethnic Albanians in Macedonia with respect to the use of their language, universities, with respect to other issues that I congratulated the President on moving aggressively to deal with, to include political reconciliation in all its forms, including possible constitutional amendments at some point in the future.
I made the point to the President that we must not allow terrorists to derail political reconciliation. As long as we keep moving in this direction, we will dry up the support that terrorists might think they enjoy. And I also discussed with the President other things that the United States can do to support them, not only in security issues but as well as economic support that they need during this difficult time.
And I expressed my condolence and the condolence of the American people to the families of the eight Macedonian soldiers who lost their lives as a result of this terrorist act.
So, Mr. President, it is a great pleasure to welcome you here and is a great pleasure to have had a chance to exchange views. And I know that President Bush is looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sir.
PRESIDENT TRAJKOVSKY: It was a good opportunity to discuss with Secretary Powell, and we discussed about Macedonia, the recent events in Macedonia, and about also the original situation in general.
I [gave] thanks to the Secretary for expressing his condolence to the people of Macedonia and to the families of the killed eight soldiers which being killed over the last weekend. And I thanked for his concern, too.
First of all, I would like to thank to him that he invite me to pay a visit to the President Bush, also to the Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. And I believe that this is a real demonstration of the commitment on the part of United States in the Republic of Macedonia and the region, and it shows that the United States would like to remain in that part of the region. Also, it shows that the United States would like and is willing to defeat the terrorists, and also to uphold the democracy and the rule of law, and also to support the Republic of Macedonia in everything what we are doing.
Also, that was a good opportunity to brief -- shortly to brief the Secretary about the political dialogue, what we are doing. And this political dialogue never stop in Macedonia. And I informed the Secretary about my work that I invite on the table all political parties and that my vision is to create a society which will be based on the individuals, not on the ethnic groups -- on the citizens, not on the ethnic groups -- and that we are going to discuss for the rights of all citizens in the Republic of Macedonia. And the principle of these discussions will be the quality of the rights of the citizens, the quality of the rights and responsibilities of the citizens in the country, to discuss for the rights of the men and women, female and male, and regarding their background and religious and political and ideological background.
Also, we discussed about our economical needs, and we are expecting the United States will contribute to the creating and positive environment in our country during this stake in political dialogue, which is very important. I appreciate very much that the Secretary stated that we have to isolate the terrorists because they are with one intention, not to encourage the political dialogue but to destabilize the country. And we have a joint commitment to fight against them with the political sources.
And thank you very much once again. And I think that we have and we will count on United States as our friendship and that will remain in that part of the region, especially in the Republic of Macedonia. Thank you.
Q: Mr. Secretary, the violence turned the other way today. Macedonians are now attacking ethnic Albanians. This is not unusual in the Balkans -- ethnic violence. Do you have any comment on that development?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, there is a great deal of frustration in the region. The President and I both talked to this issue, that all sides have to try to solve the problem as part of a political dialogue. Violence -- this is nothing but broken families and casualties. So I know that the President is concerned about this and will do everything he can to ensure that this does not get out of control.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Macedonia army begins offensive Posted May 3, 2001
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1310000/1310372.stm
Thursday, 3 May, 2001, 15:09 GMT 16:09 UK
Macedonia army begins offensive
The Macedonian army has launched an offensive on rebel ethnic Albanian positions around a village where two of its soldiers were killed in an overnight ambush.
Civilians were ordered to evacuate the village of Vakcince by 3pm (1300 GMT) but the BBC correspondent in Macedonia Nick Wood says helicopter gunships were seen firing rockets at the village before that deadline had passed.
Journalists from the Reuters news agency also reported mortar explosions inside the village.
The government is now giving people in the surrounding area until 6pm to evacuate in order to give the army more room for manoeuvre in its operations.
'Liberated' territory
The interior and defence ministries had told residents to leave Vakcince and register for temporary shelter in nearby towns.
However reports say few people have responded to the government appeal, which was broadcast on television at 10 minute intervals.
Two Macedonian soldiers died at Vakcince early on Thursday morning as they were returning from a night border patrol, while a third was captured.
State radio said two guerrillas were killed in the clash and that the rebels had declared the nearby village of Slupcane "liberated territory".
Our correspondent says the emergence of the gunmen in Vakcince and Slupcane has caused considerable concern in the government, which claimed in March it had flushed rebels of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army out of the country.
An ambush on police and soldiers near the north-western town of Tetovo on Saturday, in which eight members of the security forces were killed, made clear they were back.
Riots and attacks on Albanian-owned property broke out in the southern city of Bitola following the men's funerals on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, US President George W Bush promised to increase American efforts to help the Macedonian authorities in their fight against the separatists.
US offer
A White House official said Mr Bush had offered to share US intelligence with Macedonian forces, during a meeting in Washington with President Boris Trajkovski.
Earlier, the main Slav and ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia's ruling coalition warned that the recent violence risks destabilising the country and destroying ethnic tolerance.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians, Arben Xhaferi, compared the rioters' attacks on Albanians to Nazi pogroms against the Jews:
People were starting to believe that they could no longer live together, he said.
Talks between the majority Macedonian and minority Albanian communities have so far failed to produce any concrete results and there have been frequent warnings that the conflict could easily re-ignite.
The Albanians are demanding greater recognition in the constitution, as well as better representation in the administration and increased use of the Albanian language.