Macedonia Factions Sign Peace Accord

S K O P J E, Macedonia, Aug. 13, 2001 -- Macedonia's rival political leaders signed a landmark peace accord today aimed at ending six months of bloody conflict and clearing the way for NATO troops to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels.

Political leaders representing the Balkan country's Macedonianmajority and its minority ethnic Albanian population formallyendorsed the agreement, which gives ethnic Albanians a larger shareof power in the police ranks, parliament and education.

NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson, European Union envoyJavier Solana, French mediator Francois Leotard and U.S. envoyJames Pardew were among those attending the signing ceremony atPresident Boris Trajkovski's residence.

Robertson called it "a remarkable moment for the history ofMacedonia. This day marks the entry of Macedonia into modern,mainstream Europe."

Hoping for Peace From Now On

Although details still must be worked out, the accord paves theway for NATO to send in 3,500 troops to disarm the rebels. TheBritish-led mission, dubbed Operation Essential Harvest, would last30 days and include troops from the United States, France, Germany,Italy, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Hungary and theCzech Republic.

"This is the day when we can begin an end to this conflict andtake all the political issues off the table," said Pardew, whohelped broker the accord last week. "After this day, there shouldbe no reason for fighting."

But before the NATO troops can be deployed, there will have tobe a "durable cease-fire," Robertson cautioned. He gave notimetable for deployment.

"Clearly, there has to be a sustainable cease-fire and clearindications from the insurgents that they mean business in terms ofdisarming completely and handing over their weapons and ammunitionto the NATO troops when they come," he said.

Ahead of the signing, Macedonia's government reinstated acease-fire that had gone ignored over the past two weeks.Trajkovski ordered government forces to stop shooting Sunday "toshow goodwill and give a chance" to the peace deal, statetelevision reported.

Reason for Pessimism

But despite the cease-fire — which one rebel commander called a"farce" — there was heavy fighting overnight in the north of thecountry.

The army accused the insurgents of launching mortar andmachine-gun fire on police positions near the rebel strongholds ofSlupcane and Orizare, prompting the government to vow it wouldrespond "by all available means."

Heavy detonations from the fighting in the north could be hearduntil 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) throughout Skopje, the capital. On Sunday,troops backed by tanks and warplanes fought the rebels on theoutskirts the capital and several other fronts.

Government troops pounded the ethnic Albanian village ofLjuboten, just three miles north of Skopje, withmortars and tank fire with a barrage that lasted until late Sundayafternoon. The government said the strike was prompted by anearlier rebel attack.

Speaking from Tetovo, Macedonia's second-largest city, ArbenXhaferi, an ethnic Albanian leader who participated in the peacetalks, said Sunday: "We are willing to sign a deal, but physicallywe cannot go to Skopje now" because of the fighting.

A rebel spokesman who goes by the name of Besniku, or Faith,said about 50 ethnic Albanian civilians had been killed over thelast three days alone, but could not estimate rebel casualties.

The United Nations Gives Backing

In New York, the U.N. Security Council called an unscheduledmeeting Monday to endorse the peace deal and call for all partiesto abide by it.

The militants took up arms in February, saying they werefighting for more rights for ethnic Albanians, who account forabout a third of Macedonia's population of 2 million. TheMacedonian government contends the rebels simply want to seizeterritory.