Renewed Fighting in Macedonia

28/03/2001| IslamWeb

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SKOPJE(Islamweb & Agencies)The Slave-dominated Macedonian forces have resumed shelling of positions held by ethnic Albanian fighters, as western diplomats try to shore up support for the government.
The shelling of the village of Nikustak, which began on Tuesday, follows the evacuation of Albanian fighters from nearby Aracinovo in a Nato-led operation.
Meanwhile the United States announced a move to block funds to the Albanians and restrict their entry to the US.
The European Union's newly-appointed permanent representative in Macedonia, Francois Leotard, also stressed his support for the government, clarifying earlier comments in which he had suggested direct talks with the Albanian fighters.
Correspondents say diplomats are keen to press home their success in persuading the fighters to withdraw from Aracinovo under the protection of international forces.
Nato now wants the two sides to agree a general ceasefire and, following that, negotiate the disarmament of the fighters.
It has already made advanced plans to deploy 3,000 troops to oversee the disarmament.
The withdrawal from Aracinovo sparked rioting by nationalists in the capital, Skopje, on Monday night.
The army's renewed shelling is seen by some as an attempt to placate public opinion.
Reuters news agency reports that, as the army was shelling Nikustak, troops reinforced a position outside the neighbouring village of Umin Dol and appeared to be preparing a ground assault on Albanian positions.
Other reporters said mortar shells landed on the edge of the northern city of Kumanovo and that in the northwest, the two forces clashed for hours, with a large column of smoke visible from the area around Gorno Malo.
Monday's rioting, which saw nationalists burning pictures of Western leaders in the streets around the parliament building, prompted the US and Britain to warn their citizens not to travel to Macedonia.
According to President Trajkovski, the riots "could easily have turned into civil war".
Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski said the armed forces could clear the Albanian fighters from Macedonia without outside help.
Ethnic Albanian fighters began their armed uprising for equal rights in February and, despite repeated efforts by the Macedonian army, they have retained control over a string of villages near Macedonia's northern border.
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PHOTO CAPTION

A Slav Macedonian army soldier fires a heavy machine-gun from the top of a T-55 tank at the ethnic Muslim Albanian stronghold village of Nikushtak, north-east of the capital Skopje, June 27, 2001. Macedonia strayed perilously close to wider conflict as fresh fighting followed fierce protests by radical nationalists enraged at a Western-led evacuation of ethnic Albanian fighters. REUTERS/Oleg Popov
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