MACEDONIA: AS NATO AMBASSADORS MEET TO DECIDE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN MACEDONIA ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS PLEDGE TO DISARM
Record ID:
647993
MACEDONIA: AS NATO AMBASSADORS MEET TO DECIDE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN MACEDONIA ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS PLEDGE TO DISARM
- Title: MACEDONIA: AS NATO AMBASSADORS MEET TO DECIDE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN MACEDONIA ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS PLEDGE TO DISARM
- Date: 16th August 2001
- Summary: (W5) KONDOVO, MACEDONIA (AUGUST 15, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV MACEDONIAN TANK ON ROAD; MV TANK WITH MACEDONIAN SOLDIER; SLV MACEDONIAN SOLDIERS WALKING THROUGH TRENCHES; MV MACEDONIAN SOLDIER IN BUNKER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS; SLV LJUBOTEN VILLAGE; SLV MACEDONIAN SOLDIER WITH MACHINE GUN; MV MACEDONIAN SOLDIERS WITH GUNS; MV MACEDONIAN SOLDIER WALKING; SLV MACEDONIAN TANK; LV VILLAGE (13 SHOTS) 1.08 (W5) SKOPJE, MACEDONIA (AUGUST 15, 2001) (REUTERS) 2. SLV NATO NEWS CONFERENCE 1.13 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO COMMANDER GUNNAR LANGE SAYING "We foresee they will be collected at designated sites. In order to collect weapons we will deploy a cordon around the weapons site, then we will move in with a column to this weapon collection site, collect the arms, extract and deploy to an areas where the ammunition can be destroyed and arms can be collected for further destruction in a third country." 2.00 4. SLV JOURNALIST 2.03 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO COMMANDER GUNNAR LANGE SAYING "The conditions on the ground must also be right before any deployment can occur, the ceasefire must be respected, our soldiers will not come here to enforce the peace, they will only come if the environment will allow them to collect weapons and ammunition that are voluntarily turned in by the so called NLA (National Liberation Army)." 2.39 6. MV JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 2.42 7. LV/SLV CENTRAL SKOPJE, PEOPLE WALKING OVER BRIDGE/ BUILDING (3 SHOTS) 2.53 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) WOMAN SAYING "NATO is distinguishing Macedonians from Albanians, they are creating the difference between us, I don't think the Albanians will give their weapons to NATO." 3.02 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Macedonian) MAN SAYING "NATO is obliged to come, now it is only a question of how they will implement it." 3.17 10. SLV PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS BRIDGE 3.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 31st August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SKOPJE AND KONDOVO, MACEDONIA
- Country: Macedonia
- Reuters ID: LVA3D8I0UCEV2C84FSA4NHOQPO0F
- Story Text: As NATO ambassadors were meeting in Brussels to decide
whether to go ahead and deploy 3,500 troops in Macedonia,
ethnic Albanian rebels have pledged to disarm.
With bewildering speed, Macedonia has stepped back
from the brink of a new Balkan war in the past two days. A
ragged ceasefire was still holding on Wednesday (August 15)
after six months of conflict.
NATO said there were only scattered ceasefire violations
across confrontation zones overnight but only with small arms.
The Macedonian Defence Ministry reported two guerrilla
shooting attacks but said the army did not respond, suggesting
the incidents were not serious, and the fronts were now quiet.
Envoys from the alliance's 19 member states were to be
briefed in Brussels at a closed-door meeting starting at 10:15
a.m. (0815 GMT), boosted by news that the rebels have signed a
document committing them to hand over weapons to NATO troops.
An official in Brussels said the ambassadors were unlikely
immediately to give the green light for deployment of the
troops since they would probably have to consult their
governments first. But a decision could be made by the end of
the week.
A British defence source told Reuters an initial couple of
hundred troops could leave as early as Thursday, to check the
situation on the ground in the former Yugoslav republic.
Under the plan, NATO will deploy 3,500 troops to Macedonia
to set up weapons collection points around the former Yugoslav
republic where guerrillas will voluntarily dump guns, bullets
and mortars. NATO will destroy the stockpiles.
The scheme got a giant boost on Tuesday when the political
leader of the National Liberation Army (NLA), Ali Ahmeti,
signed a deal with NATO brokers committing the rebels to hand
over their weapons to the alliance.
Nato Commander Gunnar Lange gave details of the expected
disarmament process at a news conference in Skopje on Wednesday.
"We foresee they will be collected at designated sites. In
order to collect weapons we will deploy a cordon around the
weapons site, then we will move in with a column to this
weapon collection site, collect the arms, extract and deploy
to an areas where the ammunition can be destroyed and arms can
be collected for further destruction in a third country," he said.
But NATO says that there is not yet a durable or
sustainable ceasefire in Macedonia - one of the main
conditions still to be met before deployment.
"The conditions on the ground must also be right before
any deployment can occur, the ceasefire must be respected ,
our soldiers will not come here to enforce the peace, they
will only come if the environment will allow them to collect
weapons and ammunition that are voluntarily turned in by the
so called NLA (National Liberation Army)," Lange said.
A team of 15 NATO experts arrived in Macedonia on Tuesday
to help assess the truce.
But some doubt the rebels will hand over their arms. "NATO is distinguishing Macedonians from Albanians, they are creating the difference between us, I don't think the Albanians will give their weapons to NATO," said one woman in Skopje.
Others feel it is only matter of time before the conflict
will be settled.
"NATO is obliged to come, now it is only a question of how
they will implement it", said another Skopje resident.
Albanian parties signed an agreement on Monday to give
ethnic Albanians more rights ranging from wider use of the
Albanian language to more funding for education.
The rebels say they have been fighting for the rights for
ethnic Albanians, who make up a third of the population. The
government accuses them of wanting to split up the nation.
Rebel disarmament is due to happen in tandem with the
package of political reforms, due to be voted by parliament
within 45 days. NATO deployment is likely to take about two
weeks before all 3,500 soldiers are in place to start a 30-day
mission.
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