From mentor at alb-net.com Tue Jul 3 11:28:02 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 11:28:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] Macedonia Paramilitary Threat Emerges Message-ID: Excerpts form the AP article "Macedonia Paramilitary Threat Emerges" [full text below] "Pamphlets emblazoned with a lion symbolizing a group calling itself Paramilitary 2000 delivered a powerful threat to ethnic Albanian shopkeepers: Close shop or we'll burn down your businesses." "Since the threat, up to 30,000 Albanians, mostly from Skopje, have left for Kosovo, bringing the number of refugees who have taken refuge in the Serbian province to 100,000 since the insurgency began four months ago." "Following a pattern some fear will spread to Skopje and other cities, Western and government sources say police officers were among gangs that destroyed Albanian businesses and targeted the homes of prominent Albanians in Bitola in May after four policemen from the southern city were killed. The home of the deputy health minister, Muharrem Nexhipi, an ethnic Albanian, was among those targeted." "Deputy Interior Minister Refet Elmazi, who is an ethnic Albanian, says neither the prime minister nor the interior ministers - both Slavs - expressed condolences, adding: ``I guess that speaks a lot.''" Full article: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010703/wl/macedonia_paramilitary_threat_1.html Tuesday July 3 1:17 AM ET Macedonia Paramilitary Threat Emerges By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press Writer SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Pamphlets emblazoned with a lion symbolizing a group calling itself Paramilitary 2000 delivered a powerful threat to ethnic Albanian shopkeepers: Close shop or we'll burn down your businesses. Most stall owners in and around the trash-strewn industrial wasteland called Madzari packed up and left after receiving the threat 10 days ago from the recently activated paramilitary group, which considers some Albanians who arrived in the last few years illegal residents of Macedonia. The emergence of paramilitary threats in the capital, Skopje - a direct response to the insurgents' assault on neighboring Aracinovo and evident in riots outside Parliament last week - brings a new escalation to Macedonia's conflict between ethnic Albanian militants and government troops in this troubled Balkan country. Immediately following the threat, rebel Commander Hoxha announced that his forces in the hills surrounding the capital were prepared to defend Albanians in Skopje if they came under attack. That spread unease among the Slav population. The Albanian businessmen of the Madzari district say they have been menaced by a black jeep with the Paramilitary 2000 logo, but so far there have been no direct confrontations or violence. But they also say Macedonian police have refused to protect them. ``The police said that all Albanians who work here should remove their stock and leave the area,'' shopowner Ibrahim Baftjari said. He has remained, but has removed his most expensive goods. Since the threat, up to 30,000 Albanians, mostly from Skopje, have left for Kosovo, bringing the number of refugees who have taken refuge in the Serbian province to 100,000 since the insurgency began four months ago. It is a pattern that has repeated itself in more than a decade of Balkan conflicts: Irregular units form in response to dissatisfaction with military and police action against an insurgency. Western observers worry that the slightest spark - a slain policeman or Macedonian Slav civilian - could lead to full-blown civil war. They cite not only the new irregular units but also the vast number of armed reservists. Already, reservists were blamed last week by President Boris Trajkovski for bringing the country to the brink of civil war when, massed outside Parliament, they opened fire amid a crowd of Macedonian Slavs enraged at the rebels' safe passage from Aracinovo under U.S. escort. ``There's a coalescence of different extremist elements into more formal networks,'' said Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch. ``We're talking about a region where there's a pattern of civilians involved in conflicts.'' The government denies the existence of any irregular paramilitary organization in Macedonia. Off the record, a government source dismissed the Paramilitary 2000 as ``a bunch of drunks who number no more than 20 people,'' and estimated the total number of paramilitary fighters at ``no more than 200.'' The real threat, the source said, is from reservists who have been issued arms by the Interior Ministry, like those outside Parliament last week. Not all the guns were given to people on the reservist list, the source said, and some were distributed specifically to members of the ruling government party. But bigger questions remain: Who controls these armed militias and reservists, and how much crossover exists between them? So far, very little is known about who comprises the newly emerging armed groups. In a communique two weeks ago, Paramilitary 2000 said its 2,000 fighters included members of Army special forces units - the Tigers, the Wolves and the Scorpions - as well as mercenaries. There are other groups operating as well, including the National Front of Macedonia and the Todor Aleksandrov, named for a 20th-century patriot, as well as clubs of football hooligans boasting paramilitary structures. Following a pattern some fear will spread to Skopje and other cities, Western and government sources say police officers were among gangs that destroyed Albanian businesses and targeted the homes of prominent Albanians in Bitola in May after four policemen from the southern city were killed. The home of the deputy health minister, Muharrem Nexhipi, an ethnic Albanian, was among those targeted. Deputy Interior Minister Refet Elmazi, who is an ethnic Albanian, says neither the prime minister nor the interior ministers - both Slavs - expressed condolences, adding: ``I guess that speaks a lot.'' Polarization has already spread through government. Elmazi said recent events have made it difficult for him to perform his government role. Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski refused to give him details of the reservist call-up, including how many arms were distributed. ``It is important for the second person in the police to know what is happening,'' Elmazi said. ``As deputy minister of the interior, I can tell you the Macedonians are playing a very secret game. They are not sharing information with other parties.'' From mentor at alb-net.com Sun Jul 8 05:10:17 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 05:10:17 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] 1. Albanian Exodus; 2. Conflict in Macedonia: Human Rights Watch researcher Fred Abrahams discusses the effects hostilities have had on the Slavic and ethnic Albanian populations of Macedonia. Message-ID: 1. Albanian Exodus: The fighting in Macedonia has prompted tens of thousands of Albanians to flee across the border into Kosovo (IWPR 7/4/2001) 2. Conflict in Macedonia: Human Rights Watch researcher Fred Abrahams discusses the effects hostilities have had on the Slavic and ethnic Albanian populations of Macedonia. (June 27, 2001) 3. Links to HRW reports on Macedonia ===== 1 ===== http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr/bcr_20010704_4_eng.txt Albanian Exodus IWPR The fighting in Macedonia has prompted tens of thousands of Albanians to flee across the border into Kosovo. By Nehat Islami in Kacanik, Kosovo (BCR No. 261, 4-Jul-01) "Macedonian paramilitaries wearing masks came and told us to leave if we wanted to save our skins," said an elderly Albanian woman from Skopje, surrounded by her family's suitcases in the newly-opened transit camp at Kacanik. Afrim Aliu, from Gulmova near Lake Treska, west of Skopje, said he and his neighbours were forced to leave because the Macedonian armed forces would not let them harvest their land. "We live on it! We're peasants," he said. They were among the 14,000 Albanians from Macedonia who entered Kosovo last weekend as EU envoy Javier Solana hammered out a fragile truce between the Skopje authorities and the National Liberation Army. The camp at Kacanik, on the Skopje-Pristina highway, was opened on June 24 by the UN High Commission for Refugees. "UNHCR must be prepared for a worst-case scenario," said the agency's regional envoy Eric Morris. Two years and 15 km separate this new wave of Albanian refugees from the legendary Blace camp, across the Macedonian border, where half a million Kosovo Albanians found sanctuary after their lives were threatened by Serbian security forces in 1999. Since fighting broke out in Macedonia in late February, nearly 1,000 Albanian refugees a day have been entering Kosovo. When the NLA seized Aracinovo, 8 km north of Skopje, at the end of May, the number soared to 4,000 a day. The Skopje authorities have established a sand-bagged checkpoint at an intersection 10km from Blace, where police and soldiers search the refugees' vehicles and inspect their documents. "Many families report that they had tried two or three times to cross the frontier but were turned back (by Macedonian police)," said UNHCR spokeswoman Mercedes Rose. "Others, exhausted after five hours of waiting, decided to return home and try again the next day." Burhamedin Qazimi had just crossed the border at Hani I Elezit with his wife and two small daughters, having fled the fighting in Lisec, near Tetovo."The Macedonian police checked me four times," he said, "they were very rude. I am sorry that the girls had to experience this. Those scenes in Lisec will be forever in their minds." "There won't be peace in Macedonia unless the NATO troops arrive," said another man, bathed in sweat and newly arrived at Kacanik. "We are shelled by helicopters and jets bought with our own taxes." On June 26, the UNHCR appealed for $17.5 million to provide emergency assistance to more than 65,000 refugees in Kosovo and 35,500 registered by the Red Cross as internally-displaced in Macedonia. Designed to accommodate 14,000 people, Kacanik camp provided shelter for only 10 per cent of the 2,000 new arrivals on its first day of operation about 10 days ago. After registration, the refugees wash, eat and make their way to other parts of Kosovo. Most settle close to the border - in communities such as Dragash, Hani I Elezit, Kacanik, Vitina, Ferizaj and Gjilan - so as to be free to slip across the border and visit their homes as soon as the fighting dies down. Many are living in houses, without doors, windows, water or electricity, still being repaired after the ravages of the Kosovo war. The population of Kacanik has almost doubled in the last few weeks. The Kosovo Red Cross pays 40 German marks per month to local families for each refugee they house. "It's not enough," said shopkeeper Hysen Syla in Ferizaj, "but we use our family reserves." He is sheltering 20 refugees in his home. The current influx largely comes from villages between Skopje and Tetovo. "Luckily, the refugees from the Presevo valley, who came to Kosovo months before, are now going back home," said Red Cross secretary Qerim Spahiu. But there are still big problems with overcrowding. Adem Salihaj, mayor of Ferizaj, said that 200 families with 1,100 members had arrived on June 25 alone, mostly from the suburbs of Skopje, increasing the number of refugees in the district to 12,000. He called on other Kosovan towns to share the burden by taking in more people. The Red Cross is currently using Kacanik as a centre from which to trace and re-unite relatives who became separated in the rush to leave Macedonia. "We've managed to establish contact between four children from Slupcan and their parents," said Ylber Tufa. "Slupcan, near Kumanovo, has been totally destroyed by army shells. The parents are still living in the cellar of their house there." Nehat Islami is the IWPR project manager in Kosovo. ===== (2) ===== http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/world_abrahams_062701.htm Conflict in Macedonia With Frederick C. Abrahams Authour, Human Rights Researcher Wednesday, June 27, 2001; 11:00 a.m. EDT European Union envoy Javier Solana secured a limited cease-fire agreement Sunday in Macedonia. The Post's R. Jeffrey Smith reports that government forces will halt offensives in exchange for a European-monitored withdrawal of ethnic Albanian guerillas near Skopje, the Macedonian capital. Still, tensions are high and a permanent cease-fire throughout the country remains elusive. Frederick C. Abrahams, a project fellow at the Open Society Institute focusing on developments in Kosovo and Macedonia since 1989, will be online Wednesday, June 27, 2001 at 11 a.m. EDT to discuss the effects hostilities have had on the Slavic and ethnic Albanian populations of Macedonia. Many Macedonian citizens have been forced to flee their homes to escape violence with as many as 56,000 Albanians traveling to neighboring Kosovo. Abrahams was a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch monitoring events in the southern Balkans from 1994 to 2000. He also provided research and analysis for the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavian in The Hague. Since 1989, Abrahams has conducted research and worked in Albania and is writing a book on the country. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com: Mr. Abrahams, could you please describe the situation facing Macedonian citizens in light of ongoing violence? Frederick C. Abrahams: I don't want to be fatalistic, but the current situation in Macedonia is dire. The experience of the past decade shows how violent wars in the Balkans can be, especially for civilians. And a conflict in Macedonia would be no different,and perhaps worse. The capital Skopje, for instance, is at least 20% ethnic Albanian, so fighting there would be tragic. Rolling Meadows, Ill.: Why don't NATO and the U.S. send troops to Macedonia to stop the violence before it becomes another Kosovo? Why Wait so long so we can dig the graves years later? Since you have been doing research in that part of the Balkans, you know the kind of people the Albanians are dealing with, people that kill kids and women or unarmed innocent civilians. Thank You Mr.Abrahams Frederick C. Abrahams: I agree that NATO and the West generally should be more involved now to avoid bloodshed later. As you say, the West has acted to late in the past, at the expense of civilian lives. I believe there are people in the U.S. government and in NATO who agree with this. But there are also many people and certain institutions that are reluctant to intervene. For one, the Bush administrations stated aim has been to play less of a role in the Balkans, leaving it more to Europe. There are also those who do not believe that intervention is in the U.S. national interest. In my opinion, U.S. involvement is crucial, not only to avoid bloodshed in Mac. but also to help avoid a wider regional conflict. Skopje, Macedonia: THE QUESTION IS: How can we explain to Macedonians in order to understand once and forever that their crisis of identity can not be cured by violating rights of Albanians? Thank You in advance Vullnet POSHKA, TV Editor, Skopje Frederick C. Abrahams: I don't have a set answer for this. But I do believe that the international community shares some of the blame. First, the UN sanctions against Yugoslavia during the war (1992-1995) and the embargo on Macedonia by Greece (because of Greece's objection to the name "Macedonia") both hurt Macedonia economically. The West did not do enough to provide Macedonia with economic assistance during this difficult time. Unemployment is currently around 37%, which affects people of all ethnicities. I believe this economic factor is one of the factors behind this conflict. washingtonpost.com: What type of intervention or involvement in Macedonia by the U.S., NATO and/or the EU would you like to see? Frederick C. Abrahams: Although I have my criticisms of US foreign policy, I do believe that resolving the Mac. crisis requires US leadership. For one, the EU is too divided and full of competing agendas to act effectively. The US has the ability to act with one voice. In addition, the Albanian rebels -- the NLA -- have the most trust for the US. As for the type of intervention, I personally believe that an expanded military presence of NATO will be required to guarantee any political deal that is reached. A kind of MFOR (Macedonia Force) is in order, but only on the invitation of the Mac government, of course. Duluth MN.: Frederick C Abrahams: What is the position of the State Department at this time, beyond the assistance of troops for withdrawal?...Are refugees being stacked like cordwood in villages already overflowing with refugees? Is it 'too little too late' or what would aid the situation most effectively at this late date?(what could our State Department do now, to effect a possible peace and deactivate this 'powderkeg'?) Frederick C. Abrahams: Although I don't know all the inner opinions of the State Dept., I believe there are competing ideas. As I said, the Bush administration has been trying to play a less active role in the Balkans. But others understand that this is simply not possible. The US must play a major role in Kosovo, Bosnia and now Macedonia. My personal opinion is that State, together with the EU, must apply strong pressure on all sides - the Mac. government and the NLA - to reach a political solution. An escalation of violence will certainly be a disaster for ALL involved, and this must be avoided. The US should also be ready to provide troops to enforce a political settlement. Brooklyn, NY: Was the ethnic Albanian population of Macedonia subject to -human rights- abuses before the current conflict, i.e. active political repression and abuse as distinct from less overt forms of discrimination? Frederick C. Abrahams: The ethnic Albanians of Macedonia were not treated as badly as Albanians in neighboring Kosovo - but it is not correct to use Slobodan Milosevic as the yardstick for human rights. Albanians in Macedonia had some legitimate complaints: * police abuse * discrimination in unemployment (underrepresented in state jobs) * restricted access to Albanian-language education (especially on the university level) In general, they were treated as second-class citizens. I would call it an ongoing and low to middle level discrimination. They were, for instance, very free to have their media, conduct business, organize politically etc. Blatant repression there definitely was not. I would say that, while many ethnic Albanians in Mac. do not agree with the violence of the NLA, the rebels do represent an extreme form of the frustration that many Albanians in Mac. share. And, of course, as the gov't confronts the rebels in an indiscriminantly violent way, more Albanians will join the militaristic cause. Cumberland, Md.: I have seen statements that there are approximately 120,000 illegal Albanian immigrants in Macedonia and this has contributed to the crisis. Would you care to comment on this? Frederick C. Abrahams: I don't know exactly how many illegal Alb workers are in Mac - I am sure there are some from Albania. But I don't believe this has much or any impact on the current crisis. Cumberland, Md.: What has it taken NATO/K-FOR so long to control the border between Kosovo and Macedonia? Frederick C. Abrahams: This is a very interesting question. Some, especially people in the Mac. gov't, hase suggested that NATO purposefully allowed Albanian rebels to remain active in the border region. I believe it has more to do with force protection. NATO troops (and the sector along the Kosovo-Mac border is run by US forces) are primarily concerned with avoiding casualties of their own. Also, the border is very difficult to patrol. The mountainous terrain makes for easy smuggling, arms transfers etc. New York, NY: Do you think the international community has thus far played a positive role in mediating this conflict? Do you think they have a united plan of action with regard to solving this crisis? Frederick C. Abrahams: Firstly, the international community has failed in Macedonia over the past ten years. Since the country achieved its independence, the West has been concerned with protecting its territorial integrity and stability. The first ever UN preventive deployment force was sent there, I believe in 1992 (UNPREDEP). The OSCE was there too. But the West's approach has always been to support the government without pressing it to improve its human rights record - against ethnic Albanians as well as other citizens. As far as conflict prevention is concerned, the West totally failed. Now the situation is much more complicated, and there is the definite danger that the conflict will spill out of control. And I am not convinced that the international community is satisfactorily of the same mind to act effectively. Cumberland, MD: Doesn't the recent outbreak of anti-NATO rioting in Skopje, underscore the point that NATO and the US are both viewed as too pro-Albanian to have any leverage with Macedonian authorities, short of financial blackmail? Frederick C. Abrahams: It is true that many ethnic Macedonians, in and out of gov't, increasingly view NATO and the US as pro-Albanian. But I don't believe that this precludes the West's strong involvement in resolving this crisis. First, it is important to know that there are different opinions within the Mac government. President Trajkovski, for instance, has been much more willing to pursue political dialogue and make concessions, whiile PM Georgievski has pursued the military option, along with the Minister of Interior. Also, as you say, the West can bring tremendous pressure to bear, economically and politically, on the Mac authorities, as well as the NLA, to resolve this politically. Rockville, MD: Mr Abrahams, what inn of democratic institutions, and perhaps even regional security structures should be examined. Lastly, as I mentioned above, the status of Kosovo must be addressed. Quince Orchard, MD: The Balkans has been a killing zone for centuries. Memories are long and thirst for revenge is handed down like family heirlooms. Why should we put our children at risk by sending in troops when the locals seem to view the bloodsheed as ongoing history that cannot be avoided? Frederick C. Abrahams: While it is true that the Balkans has a long history of ethnic hatred and fighting, I strongly dispute the notion that this fighting is unavoidable. On the contrary, the fighting in former Yugoslavia is the result of concrete actions by individuals and institutions. As for putting US troops at risk, I would admittedly have a difficult time convincing a parent in Idaho or New Jersey to send their child into a Balkan war. But I do believe that the US government is in a position to help avoid major bloodshed in a region of the w Frederick C. Abrahams: Without question, the ethnic Albanian community in Mac. also shares some of the blame, for various reasons. First, the Albanian politic cannot always agree on what it wants. There is intense competition for power within the Albanians that sometimes prohibits them from agreeing. Also, there are clearly certain politicians and individuals who benefit from Albanians' second-class status. They require the "oppression" of the state to maintain their positions. Lastly, the Albanian community has been plagued by corruption (as has Mac. generally). Individuals in positions of power, such as in the gov't., prefer to stay there because of the economic benefits they enjoy. I would also add something not pleasant for Albanians to hear but, in my opinion, true and relavent. That is the Albanians' inferiority complex, which is a factor in Mac and Kosovo. After years of oppression, they are used to being victims. They are comfortable in that role. This does not mean that they don't strive for imprarly as bad as in Kosovo, but this does not lessen their grievances. As for the aims of the NLA, there are many. I believe that some individuals within the NLA are genuinely fighting for improved rights. But there are clearly many others who are striving for at least the federalization of Macedonia, or even succession. Flush from "victory" in Kosovo, many Albanians see this as a historical opportunity to correct the wrongs done to them in the past (i.e. change borders). There are also those motivated by profits and crime. After the fall of Milosevic in Serbia, there has been a mad rush for control of the illegal activities and smuggling routes in the region - both Albanians and Macedonians have taken part in this. It is not a coincidence that the NLA's activities started in the village of Tanushefci on the Kosovo-Mac border, a place long known for its smuggling activity. Tirana, Albania: What is the possibility that escalating conflict in Macedonia can involve neighbouring countries, like Albania, Greece and Bulgaria? Frederick C. Abrahams: The possibility of the conflict spreading is real, but it is also not inevitable. First, I am still hopeful that this will not come to war inside Macedonia. I believe there is enough awareness in the EU countries and the US that something must be done to reach a political agreement. washingtonpost.com: Thank you for joining us today Mr. Abrahams. Check back at washingtonpost.com for more coverage of the situation in Macedonia and other live discussions on the Balkans. Frederick C. Abrahams: Thank you for the provocative questions. ===== (3) ===== _______________________________________________________________________ http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/ Conflict in Macedonia Transcript of Washington Post chat with Fred Abrahams EXTERNAL LINK http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/world_abrahams_062701.htm Human Rights Watch researcher Fred Abrahams discusses the effects hostilities have had on the Slavic and ethnic Albanian populations of Macedonia. June 27, 2001 Macedonia: Pamphlet Raises Ethnic Tensions http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/macedon0625.htm As tens of thousands of Macedonians gathered in the streets of Skopje tonight, Human Rights Watch warned that the threat of ethnic violence in the country was rising sharply. Army and special police forces were seen joining the crowd, which took over the parliament building. June 25, 2001 NATO: Unfinished Business in the Balkans http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/nato0613.htm As NATO leaders convened in Brussels today, Human Rights Watch pressed for steps to curb the mounting violence in Macedonia. Peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans, NATO expansion, and missile defense are expected to feature prominently at the NATO meeting, which marks the second stop on U.S. President George Bush's European tour. June 13, 2001 Macedonia: Rioters Burn Albanian Homes in Bitola Police Fail to Stop Violence, Some Actively Participate http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/Bitola0608.htm Police in the Macedonian city of Bitola did not attempt to stop rioting crowds on Wednesday night, and some police officers actively participated in the violence, Human Rights Watch said today. As a result, dozens of ethnic Albanian homes and as many as 100 shops were burned by the mob. June 8, 2001 Macedonia: Albanian Rebel Abuses of Serb Civilians http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/albabuses0607.htm The National Liberation Army (NLA) physically abused eight ethnic Serb civilians whom it arbitrarily detained in the Macedonian village of Matejce last week, Human Rights Watch charged today. Altogether, at least 21 ethnic Serb men, many of them elderly, were detained by the Albanian rebel group. June 7, 2001 Macedonian Police Abuses Documented Ethnic Albanian Men Separated, Tortured at Police Stations http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/macedonia0530.htm Macedonian forces are systematically separating out ethnic Albanian males fleeing fierce fighting in northern Macedonia, and severely beating some of the men at police stations, Human Rights Watch said today. In the most severe cases documented by Human Rights Watch, the ill-treatment appears intended to extract confessions or information about the National Liberation Army (NLA) and amounts to torture. The fear of violence at the hands of the Macedonian police is also stopping many ethnic Albanians from fleeing to safety into government-controlled territory. May 31, 2001 Macedonian Government Abuses in Runica Village International Community Should Push for a Full Investigation http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/runica0529.htm Macedonian government forces arbitrarily shelled and burned the ethnic Albanian village of Runica and beat some of its civilian inhabitants last week, Human Rights Watch stated today. Six members of one family were wounded by mortar fire and one man was killed. Seven others civilians were severely beaten. May 29, 2001 Macedonia Conflict Endangers Civilians http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/macedonia-0507.htm May 7, 2001 Letter to Macedonian Prime Minister Ljupce Georgijevski http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/macedonia_ltr2.htm Letter to Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/macedonia_ltr1.htm Letter to NLA Political Spokesman Ali Ahmeti http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/05/macedonia_ltr3.htm May 4, 2001 Macedonia Must Keep Border Open To Refugees International Community Should Continue With Aid http://www.hrw.org/press/1999/apr/kosov401.htm April 1, 1999 http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/images/mosque.jpg A village mosque vandalized by rioters. On the exterior wall of the mosque, rioters had painted swastikas and written "Death to the Shiptars." The term "Shiptar" is an ethnic slur when used by non-Albanians. ? Peter Bouckaert/Human Rights Watch, 2001 Audio Police abuse in Macedonia http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/audio/police1.mp3 mp3, 2:54, 2.67 Mb Macedonian army's attack on civilians in the village of Ruinica http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/audio/runica1.mp3 mp3, 1:48, 1.66 Mb Investigation into the context of the attack on Ruinica http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/audio/runica2.mp3 mp3, 2:54, 2.81 Mb http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/macedonia/images/beatings3.jpg After being separated from women and children, Albanian men from the village of Matejce arrive at the Kumanovo police station where many were brutally beaten. ? Peter Bouckaert/Human Rights Watch, 2001 Overview of the events of 2000 from HRW World Report 2001 http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/europe/macedonia.html Past World Report chapters: 2000, http://www.hrw.org/wr2k/Eca-14.htm 1999, http://www.hrw.org/worldreport99/europe/macedonia.html 1998 http://www.hrw.org/hrw/worldreport/Helsinki-18.htm#P858_201303 PUBLICATIONS Police Violence in Macedonia April 1998 http://www.hrw.org/reports98/macedonia/ A Threat To "Stability": Human Rights Violations in Macedonia http://hrw.org/reports/1996/Macedoni.htm June 1996 From mentor at alb-net.com Sun Jul 8 13:06:50 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 13:06:50 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] Massacre waiting to happen (Scotland On Sunday; Jul 8, 2001) Message-ID: Excerpts from the Scotland On Sunday article: "Massacre waiting to happen" "A SENIOR government official has warned that Macedonian armed forces could massacre Albanian civilians unless the international community intervenes in the countrys burgeoning civil war." "He said some elements of the police were not under government control and one of the major Macedonian political parties, a partner in the coalition government, was actively destabilising peace efforts and fomenting ethnic hatred." "The official, a Macedonian Slav, said there was a real danger of some Macedonians committing war crimes on a scale seen in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. "We have our own Karadzic and Mladic (Bosnian Serbs indicted by the Hague for massacres of Bosnian Muslims) in our midst. We need the European Union to make it clear to some members of this government that they will be sent to The Hague to answer for their actions if they step outside acceptable boundaries."" "The nationalists have also become increasingly anti-Nato, blaming them for the resurgence of Albanian guerrillas and a recent agreement where NLA fighters were removed from the outskirts of Skopje. "There is a clear anti-Nato structure emerging within the government of Macedonia. It is not inconceivable that when Nato comes they will be fired on by these elements rather than the NLA," said the government official." "As the fighting continued this week, hundreds of Albanians were re-building their homes after government officials supported by police bulldozed and destroyed Albanian houses claiming that they contravened planning regulations. The action appalled Macedonian moderates in the government but they were unable to take action because the two ministries involved are controlled by VMRO elements pursuing an anti-Albanian agenda" Full article at: http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/world.cfm?id=SS01025113&feed=N Destruction: government officials supported by police have bulldozed Albanian houses claiming they contravene planning laws. Massacre waiting to happen Conal Urquhart (curquhart at scotsman.com) July 8, 2001 A SENIOR government official has warned that Macedonian armed forces could massacre Albanian civilians unless the international community intervenes in the country?s burgeoning civil war. He said some elements of the police were not under government control and one of the major Macedonian political parties, a partner in the coalition government, was actively destabilising peace efforts and fomenting ethnic hatred. The official, a Macedonian Slav, said there was a real danger of some Macedonians committing war crimes on a scale seen in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. "We have our own Karadzic and Mladic (Bosnian Serbs indicted by the Hague for massacres of Bosnian Muslims) in our midst. We need the European Union to make it clear to some members of this government that they will be sent to The Hague to answer for their actions if they step outside acceptable boundaries." The Macedonian government will struggle to deliver the ceasefire it signed on Thursday because of the malevolent power wielded by some members of VMRO, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, which holds a number of key ministries. The ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) control a large swathe of border territory and have resisted the attempts of the Macedonian security forces to dislodge them. British soldiers will lead a Nato peacekeeping force, when and if a political solution is agreed, which will feature improved rights for Albanians in Macedonia. The VMRO, whose name derives from its roots as a nationalist party opposed to Turkish occupation a century ago, has used its ministries to arm civilians, create paramilitary groups and persecute Albanians, according to Macedonian government sources. The nationalists have also become increasingly anti-Nato, blaming them for the resurgence of Albanian guerrillas and a recent agreement where NLA fighters were removed from the outskirts of Skopje. "There is a clear anti-Nato structure emerging within the government of Macedonia. It is not inconceivable that when Nato comes they will be fired on by these elements rather than the NLA," said the government official. As the fighting continued this week, hundreds of Albanians were re-building their homes after government officials supported by police bulldozed and destroyed Albanian houses claiming that they contravened planning regulations. The action appalled Macedonian moderates in the government but they were unable to take action because the two ministries involved are controlled by VMRO elements pursuing an anti-Albanian agenda. Garip Azemi, 46, returned to his home in the suburbs of Skopje to find its supporting walls knocked out and the roof on the point of collapse. "I was devastated. My home is all I have." Veli Mici, 31, a relative, said the police inspector was sympathetic to their appeals to halt the destruction but each time he tried to stop the demolition he was over-ruled by his superiors. Telephone calls to the ministry responsible for planning were not answered and it was left to local politicians to intervene on the ground in other areas. Imer Selmani, the mayor of a local council outside the capital, managed to prevent bulldozers from levelling an Albanian house. "I warned the official and the policemen in attendance that if they began flattening houses here they were declaring war on 80% of the population here or 20,000 people. I told them that they were creating a crisis and they would be responsible for its consequences." Tens of thousands of Albanian homes are not recognised by the state and some Albanian villages that have existed for decades cannot be found on official maps because the central government has not recognised their right to own land or build property. Historically a visit from a planning official was dealt with by a bribe which would supposedly lead to legal recognition but simply gave the owners a few years grace until the next visit. The destruction of houses is just one of a host of hostile actions taken by extremists in the government which have radicalised the Albanians in Macedonia, who make up one-third of the population. The NLA began their uprising in February purportedly to demand equal rights for Albanians in Macedonia. Some Macedonians believe the NLA aims to separate Albanian-dominated areas from the rest of Macedonia to create a Greater Albania or Greater Kosovo. Boris Trajkovski, the Macedonian president and a member of the VMRO, is keen to reach a political settlement with the ethnic Albanian community but he and other moderates are undermined by his fellow VMRO cabinet ministers, including Ljupco Georgievski, the prime minister, and Ljube Boshkovski, the interior minister who controls the country?s main military force, the police. The two ministers have been described as "completely insane" by government colleagues, a view which is shared by western diplomats. They are believed to have been behind recent anti-government, anti-Nato demonstrations during which foreigners were beaten up and shots were fired through the window of the president?s office. The senior government official said: "We do not know what will happen next. Some of the police reservists are not under any official control. I would not be surprised if there was a bombing attempt in the capital or some kind of political assassinations. There is a battle for the government between those who want a political solution and those who want a purely military solution. It is not clear who will win." The VMRO also controls television stations and newspapers which feed the Macedonian Slav public their prejudices in which the terms ?Albanian? and ?terrorist? have become synonymous. One report featured a presenter placing a round in a mortar and then firing it at an NLA position. Faced with such reporting, Macedonians, who have mostly co-existed peacefully with Albanians, are coming to distrust and fear them. The Albanian community have become increasingly alienated since the dispute began in February. Every military assault on a rebel-held village begins with the shelling of the mosque, which to Albanians symbolises not merely an attack on the NLA but an attack on their faith. This week has seen the arrest and harassment of senior Albanian figures and Albanian journalists . According to Human Rights Watch, some refugees have been refused re-entry into Macedonia. In one incident confirmed by the government, police reservists harassed and threatened civilians in the village of Rasce where there has been no NLA activity. Over 100,000 refugees, mostly Albanian, have left Macedonia. In Kosovo, the international community is preparing for many more. Eight miles north of the Macedonian border, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has prepared a large refugee transit camp with water, sanitation and plenty of room for expansion. The Macedonian government has increased its firepower, leasing or buying an airforce of eight helicopters and four ground attack fighters from the Ukraine. The aerial power has flattened Albanian villages but made only minimal impact on the NLA, whose numbers have swelled from 300 to 3,000 over the past five months. Government officials admit they do not have the equipment or the ability to defeat the rebels. The NLA is likely to carry on growing as instability continues and it develops new supply routes to circumvent increased policing of the Kosovo border by Nato troops. It can draw on the arms and manpower of the Kosovo Liberation Army, from which it emerged, while recruiting disaffected Macedonian Albanians. In the Kosovar town of Elisan, Vebi, 28, said that he was resting after fighting with the NLA in Gracani. A former KLA fighter, he said that there were around 150 men from his town currently with the NLA, while dozens of others were waiting to be summoned into action. "Crossing the border into Macedonia and avoiding Nato troops is easy. I have been smuggling here for years and guiding supplies into Kosovo during the war. They would need to build a wall to stop us. "And even then, we would just tunnel under it," he said. From mentor at alb-net.com Thu Jul 19 11:46:40 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 11:46:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] Peace Talks in Macedonia Appear to Be Near Collapse Message-ID: "...Macedonian leaders verbally attacked Western mediators and rejected the package of reforms they had presented as the basis for a new political future in this ethnically divided country." "Pardew and Leotard responded to today's accusations in a joint statement that said their draft proposal "preserves the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unitary character of the Republic of Macedonia, retains Macedonian as the primary official language, and maintains central control of the police."" http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15777-2001Jul18.html Peace Talks in Macedonia Appear to Be Near Collapse Mediators Accused of Acting on Ethnic Albanians' Behalf By Peter Finn Washington Post Foreign Service Thursday, July 19, 2001; Page A20 SKOPJE, Macedonia, July 18 -- Talks aimed at averting a civil war in Macedonia were on the verge of collapse tonight after Macedonian leaders verbally attacked Western mediators and rejected the package of reforms they had presented as the basis for a new political future in this ethnically divided country. Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski said the Western draft deal, accepted by ethnic Albanians, is "a blatant violation of Macedonia's internal affairs . . . which would mean carving up the country if it is accepted." He went on to say he was "concerned" by the "cowboy style" of the two mediators, U.S. envoy James Pardew and European Union envoy Francois Leotard. He said the envoys were acting as surrogates for ethnic Albanian rebels who launched an insurgency five months ago to claim greater political rights. "Now the masks are off," said Georgievski, "and it's evident the terrorists are supported by Western so-called democracies." Even if the talks can be resurrected, the government appears to be stoking the worst fears of its already radicalized constituency and preparing public opinion for failure. President Boris Trajkovski said in a statement tonight: "The reason we are here today is because a group of armed and violent extremists are bent on using guns to achieve power, either political or economic. Let us also be clear about one thing. If we cannot come to an agreement today or tomorrow, there will not be a war." A fragile cease-fire between the ethnic Albanian rebels, known as the National Liberation Army, and Macedonian government forces continues to hold, but there were reports of gunfire tonight in the largely ethnic Albanian city of Tetovo. However, the Defense Ministry warned today that the NATO-brokered cease-fire is fraying. "It's possible there will be a new escalation of the conflict in the crisis zones" in the north and northwest, said Marjan Djurovski, a ministry spokesman. "The cease-fire is holding up with difficulty because provocations by the Albanian terrorists who do not respect it are becoming more and more frequent." Both sides have been using the cease-fire to resupply and reposition their forces in preparation for a new conflict, according to NATO sources. Pardew and Leotard responded to today's accusations in a joint statement that said their draft proposal "preserves the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unitary character of the Republic of Macedonia, retains Macedonian as the primary official language, and maintains central control of the police." In Washington, State Department spokesman Phillip Reeker said: "We do not support armed insurgency, we do not support violence. . . . We've made very clear that we support the territorial integrity of Macedonia, we've been a strong friend and ally of Macedonia since its independence over a decade ago, and we have tried to help as much as possible in getting the parties to pursue a peaceful negotiation to come up with a political solution to Macedonia's problems." Macedonian officials are balking at a provision that would make Albanian a second official language, although not on the same constitutional level as Macedonian, Western officials insist. "It's a tragedy," said one Western diplomat tonight, dismissing the Macedonian objections as primarily emotional. The Macedonians "get almost everything they want and give up very little in return." At a meeting of political leaders and the Western mediators today, ethnic Albanian leader Arben Xhaferi walked out after listening to political attacks on himself and his community by Macedonian officials, sources said. All week, talks had been limited to four major political parties -- two ethnic Albanian and two Macedonian -- but at today's meeting, called by Trajkovski, all parties in parliament were invited. And Trajkovski presented them with the original Western proposal, not reflecting the substantial revisions it has undergone in the last 12 days. That suggests that, for the president at least, the process is back where it began, despite more than a week of intensive negotiations. The original document is unacceptable to ethnic Albanians who insist on full language rights. NATO Secretary General George Robertson and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who were expected here Thursday to push the negotiations forward, have canceled their trip because of the impasse, Western sources said. And Pardew and Leotard's position is becoming increasingly tenuous as senior officials here use the local media to attack them. Macedonian officials have nonetheless asked Pardew and Leotard to continue to work in the capital, and the two are willing to stay because their departure could serve as "a trigger" for renewed fighting, Western officials said. 2001 The Washington Post Company From mentor at alb-net.com Mon Jul 23 17:44:53 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:44:53 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] Ethnic Albanian girl dies as Macedonian violence flares Message-ID: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010723/1/19mj9.html Tuesday July 24, 12:38 AM Ethnic Albanian girl dies as Macedonian violence flares TETOVO, Macedonia, July 23 (AFP) - A 12-year-old ethnic Albanian girl was killed in heavy fighting and 16 people were injured, including five members of the security forces, in Tetovo in northwest Macedonia on Monday, the director of Tetovo hospital told AFP. The explosion of violence came a day before US President George W. Bush made his first visit to the UN-run province of Kosovo across the northern border and as Western envoys stepped up efforts to revive stalled talks on political reforms to end the six-month conflict. Ethnic Albanian guerrillas of the self-styled National Liberation Army (NLA) fought a pitched battle with Macedonian security forces, lobbing mortar bombs on to an army barracks on the edge of town. The army said the guerrillas had opened fire first and that their troops had responded. The young girl killed was identified as Jehina Saliu. She died from injuries received in the rebel-held village of Poroj on the eastern edge of Tetovo, said hospital director Rahim Thaci. The defence ministry also said a soldier was killed at an observation post on the western border with Albania. Among the wounded in Tetovo were four soldiers and one police officer, Thaci said. One of the soldiers was critically injured and was transferred to a hospital in the capital Skopje, 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the east. Two soldiers were also slightly injured Sunday when fighting erupted on the edge of Tetovo. The flare-up was the heaviest since NATO brokered a tense truce between the two sides on July 5 to allow talks to continue between Macedonian Slav and ethnic Albanian political leaders to hammer out reforms giving the large Albanian minority greater rights. US and EU envoys James Pardew and Francois Leotard, who met President Boris Trajkovski to find a way to restart the political dialogue, issued a joint statement condemning the renewed fighting. "We are very disappointed by the outbreak of violence in the area of Tetovo and we strongly condemn those attacks and any use of violence. We urge those responsible for these actions to respect the ceasefire," the statement said. One Western diplomat said the international community was "very worried by these clashes which will increase hostilities." "We don't know where this will lead, but it will certainly raise pressure" on talks to find a political settlement, said the official. The fighting started at 11:35 am (0935 GMT) was still underway six hours later, with the army firing on the rebel-controlled village of Gajre on the hills overlooking Tetovo, an AFP journalist on the scene said. Heavy mortar and artillery fire could be heard, Western officials said. The renewed combat dealt a severe blow to Western efforts to quell the conflict, which started in February when the NLA launched an armed campaign demanding more rights. Heavy fighting rocked Tetovo in March when the guerrillas occupied the hills above above the town. The government says the rebels used the ceasefire to reinforce their positions around Tetovo, going as far as setting up their own checkpoint near the town stadium, just a few hundred metres (yards) from a police checkpoint. The slow-moving political talks ground to a halt last Thursday when leaders of the two ethnic Albanian parties in the government walked out, accusing their Macedonian Slav coalition partners of trying to start the discussions over from scratch. The Macedonian Slavs rejected their demands for Albanian to be given the status of second official language after Macedonian, and for more powers to be devolved to local police. Government officials in Skopje said it was possible, but not confirmed, that Trajkovski would meet President Bush when he makes his first visit to Kosovo on Tuesday, where he is due to address US troops in the NATO-led peacekeeping force. They said the meeting could either take place at Skopje airport or at the US headquarters of Camp Bondsteel in southeast Kosovo. From mentor at alb-net.com Mon Jul 30 14:55:18 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 14:55:18 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [AMCC-News] (1) Macedonia peace talks continue amid fragile truce; (2) Macedonia seeks to arrest ethnic Albanian leaders; (3) Macedonian rebels say they want peace but are ready to fight Message-ID: 1. Macedonia peace talks continue amid fragile truce 2. Macedonia seeks to arrest ethnic Albanian leaders 3. Macedonian rebels say they want peace but are ready to fight ### /// (1) \\\ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010729/3/19up3.html Sunday July 29, 9:35 PM Macedonia peace talks continue amid fragile truce By Philippa Fletcher OHRID, Macedonia (Reuters) - Macedonian and ethnic Albanian politicians held a second day of talks on Sunday to end an Albanian guerrilla revolt while diplomats and monitors worked to maintain a shaky truce. Two Western envoys are mediating in the closed-door talks, chaired by President Boris Trajkovski at the lake resort of Ohrid, on a draft plan to end five months of clashes between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and the security forces. A breakthrough in the negotiations, deadlocked over the use of the Albanian language in Macedonia, where one third of the two million population is ethnic Albanian, is seen as crucial if a ragged ceasefire is to hold. A source on the Albanian side said an agreement could be reached later on Sunday between the four mainstream parties -- two Macedonian and two Albanian -- that make up a fragile emergency government coalition. But another source, close to the Macedonian side, suggested it may take longer. U.S. envoy James Pardew and his European Union counterpart Francois Leotard have made clear the talks are difficult but have given no further comment. Around two thousand Albanians returned to the shattered village of Aracinovo near Skopje in the latest of a series of confidence-building measures diplomats hope will hold off a resumption of fighting that has so far killed dozens of people. The return of the Albanians, allowed by Macedonian police who took over the village last month after a rebel withdrawal, followed a visit on Saturday by displaced Macedonians to homes they had fled near Tetovo to the west. HOMES RUINED In each case some people found their homes destroyed. "Fifteen years of work gone in two minutes. It doesn't make a person feel nice inside," said a member of the Asani family returning to their home in Aracinovo badly damaged by fierce fighting between the rebels and the army. In a village near Tetovo from where Macedonians say they were driven out by the guerrillas, burned out houses greeted some of the Macedonians returning on Saturday. Few stayed, fearing attacks from rebels still in the area. A diplomatic source said that even if temporary and painful, the two returns were crucial to allow the talks to take place in a constructive atmosphere rather than one of mutual recrimination. So far dozens of people have been killed since the guerrillas first appeared in February, but much larger casualties are feared if the clashes spark a civil war. The basis of a peace deal is all but agreed, but the issue of language is a major sticking point. The Macedonian majority sees proposals to make Albanian an official language in some areas as the thin end of a wedge leading to the division of the country. "They have not made any progress yet," said a source from the second biggest ethnic Albanian party, the PDP. "They are still working on the latest version of the draft, but it is not clear whether it will be signed." The negotiations have frequently been interrupted by bouts of heavy fighting between government troops and fighters of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army who now hold large swathes of northern and western Macedonia along the border with ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo. Macedonian officials have accused the West of siding with the rebels and pressure for a military crackdown is growing. Thousands of angry Macedonians protested in the capital Skopje on Saturday, calling the peace plan a betrayal of national interests. A crowd of about 3,000 gathered in front of parliament carrying placards saying "NATO out!" and "NATO wants to completely Albanise the country!" and comparing the peace talks with the appeasement of Nazi Germany before World War Two. (Additional reporting by Leon Malherbe in Aracinovo and Shaban Buza in Kosovo) ### /// (2) \\\ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010730/3/19we1.html Tuesday July 31, 12:02 AM Macedonia seeks to arrest ethnic Albanian leaders By Philippa Fletcher OHRID, Macedonia (Reuters) - Macedonian prosecutors asked local courts on Monday to issue arrest warrants for 11 ethnic Albanian guerrilla leaders, overshadowing last-ditch peace talks that Western envoys are trying to mediate. The guerrillas are not involved in the negotiations, which participants said had edged forward, but a draft peace plan under discussion is designed to persuade them to end their five-month-old rebellion and disarm. This would also require an amnesty. President Boris Trajkovski is chairing the closed-door talks, at a villa in the lake resort of Ohrid, between the leaders of four mainstream parties -- two Macedonian and two Albanian -- in a fragile emergency government coalition. The move against the guerrilla leaders was initiated last week by the Interior Ministry headed by hardline Macedonian nationalist Ljube Boskovski. Police said the minister and his convoy came under fire from the guerrilla National Liberation Army (NLA) on Sunday on a road outside Skopje, although no one was injured. "The aim of the so-called NLA is to unite all territories populated by Albanians by organising armed rebellion, committing acts of terrorism...forceful eviction of the population followed by military crimes against civilians," said a document from the prosecutors carried by state news agency MIA. The talks, begun in May, have frequently been interrupted by bouts of fighting between security troops and the rebels, who now hold swathes of northern and western Macedonia along the border with ethnic Albanian dominated Kosovo. There are widespread fears that if they fail, Macedonia -- the only republic to break away from the old Yugoslavia in 1991 without a shot fired -- will collapse into civil war. ALBANIAN OPTIMISM ON TALKS There was no immediate reaction from Albanian officials or the guerrillas to the call for arrest warrants. After two days of negotiations, which one source said had come close to breakdown, sources on the Albanian side expressed optimism that the main issue as they see it -- the use of the Albanian language -- was close to resolution. The use of Albanian and ethnic make-up of police are the main remaining sticking points in a draft peace plan prepared by European Union envoy Francois Leotard and his U.S. counterpart, James Pardew. A Western source said the Albanian side had made "significant concessions" on Sunday over their two objections to the draft -- which he did not specify. But the Macedonian majority has balked at endorsing reforms it fears could lead to the division of the country and the source said Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, in particular, was being "extremely inflexible". Georgievski's ally Boskovski called on Sunday for "determined action" to prevent the guerrillas seizing more territory, implying he felt force was a better tactic. A source close to the Macedonian negotiators said Pardew was pressuring them to accept the latest version by warning that Western financial support could be at stake. But the source expressed fear that if they did sign up, the agreement would not get the required parliamentary approval. "An agreement might be signed but that still leaves open the question of parliament," the source said. A source on the Albanian side said later that the Macedonians had come up with a counter-proposal that was "totally unacceptable." Leotard, speaking to France Inter radio, was cautious. "We're trying to push things forward but I acknowledge it is very difficult. I'm not certain of success and it has to be said frankly. But we do not have the right to abandon this and leave things in a logic of war," he said. Tens of thousands of people have fled the fighting, mostly ethnic Albanians but also some Macedonians. The European Commission said it would send emergency humanitarian aid to the more than 60,000 refugees who have fled from Macedonia to Kosovo and support for some 10,000 Kosovo families who are hosting them. A government spokesman said a government session scheduled for Tuesday had been postponed, indicating that the negotiations might go into a fourth day at least. (Additional reporting by Shaban Buza in Kosovo) ### /// (3) \\\ http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010729/1/19urf.html Sunday July 29, 11:30 PM Macedonian rebels say they want peace but are ready to fight. NIKUSTAK, Macedonia, July 29 (AFP) - Ethnic Albanian guerrillas in Macedonia say they want peace talks between the Skopje government and Albanian politicians to succeed so they can end their five-month insurgency which has brought the Balkan country to the brink of civil war. But they say they are ready to resume fighting if their demands are not met at the negotiating table. "I really hope that the political process will succeed and in this case we will be ready to lay down our arms immediately. But if they (the Macedonians) want war, they will have it," a rebel, Commander Hoxha, told AFP on Sunday. "Nobody wants war here," said another, Commander Sokoli, from the "113 Ismet Jashari-Kumanova" brigade's base in Lipkovo. "We have our political representatives and if there is a political solution, we will obey orders," said Sokoli, who has been involved in the insurgency since the first shots were fired in February. All six brigades the self-styled National Liberation Army (NLA) claims it has operating in Macedonia, say they want to leave space for the peace process to work. Internationally-brokered peace talks between Skopje and ethnic Albanian political leaders in the former Yugoslav republic resumed on Saturday, after the rebels withdrew from key positions in the northwest of the country under an accord with the NATO transatlantic military alliance on Thursday. The rebels say they are fighting for greater rights for Macedonia's Albanian minority. The talks, in the southern Macedonian town of Ohrid, far from the fighting, are focusing on demands that Albanian be made into an official language, alongside Macedonian, and also the establishment of an independent ethnic Albanian police force in certain areas. Sokoli said that rebels would be vigilant to ensure that any deal would be respected, saying a previous agreement, which had prompted rebels to pull out of Aracinovo near Skopje, had not been respected by the Macedonian side. On Friday another commander, Gjini, told AFP the ethnic Albanian rebels had so far used only 50 to 60 percent of their military potential. The ongoing peace talks had been postponed for a day to relocate them to the south of the country because of security fears and concerns that the rebel withdrawal from key positions had not been completed. However, the rebels also claim that they are ready to attack the capital Skopje and are present in the southwest towns of Ohrid, where the peace talks are being held, Bitola, Struga and Debar.