MACEDONIA: MACEDONIA DEFIES INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION FOR THE THIRD DAY AND BOMBARDS ALBANIAN HELD GUERILLLA VILLAGE
Record ID:
649255
MACEDONIA: MACEDONIA DEFIES INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION FOR THE THIRD DAY AND BOMBARDS ALBANIAN HELD GUERILLLA VILLAGE
- Title: MACEDONIA: MACEDONIA DEFIES INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION FOR THE THIRD DAY AND BOMBARDS ALBANIAN HELD GUERILLLA VILLAGE
- Date: 24th June 2001
- Summary: (W4) ARACINOVO, MACEDONIA (JUNE 24, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS, HELICOPTER GUNSHIP FIRING OVER VILLAGE 0.20 2. SLV SMOKE OVER VILLAGE 0.26 2. HAV, T-55 TANKS FIRING 0.39 3. VARIOUS, EXPLOSIONS AND SMOKE AS TARGETS HIT THE VILLAGE (4 SHOTS) 1.04 4. HAV T-55 TANKS FIRING 1.08 5. VARIOUS, SECOND GUNSHIP COMING IN (3 SHOTS) 1.36 6. WIDE OF MISSILES EXPLODING AND HITTING VILLAGE 1.42 (W4) SKOPJE, MACEDONIA (JUNE 24, 2001) (REUTERS) 7. SLV EXTERIORS OF BRITISH EMBASSY/ PEOPLE WALKING OUT 1.45 8. SIGN READING "BRITISH EMBASSY" 1.49 9. VARIOUS, EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JAVIER SOLANA WALKING OUT OF THE EMBASSY TO CAR AND SAYING TO MEDIA "THAT HE HAS NOTHING TO SAY " / CONVOY OF CARS DRIVING OFF (4 SHOTS) 2.12 (W4) ARACINOVO, MACEDONIA (JUNE 24, 2001) (REUTERS) 10. WIDE OF SMOKE RISING FROM VILLAGE 2.17 (W5) ARACINOVO, MACEDONIA (JUNE 24, 2001) (REUTERS) 11. HAV, SMOKING RISING FROM VILLAGE AFTER SHELLING 2.29 12. HAV TANKS FIRING ON VILLAGE 2.37 13. GV SMOKE RISING FROM BUILDINGS 2.39 14. VARIOUS, HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS FIRING SHELLS ON VILLAGE (5 SHOTS) 3.34 15. VARIOUS, SMOKE AND EXPLOSION FROM VILLAGE (4 SHOTS) 4.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ARACINOVO AND SKOPJE, MACEDONIA
- Country: Macedonia
- Reuters ID: LVA75EXGSV6IJ43UT3LAL8JWW2TI
- Story Text: European Union envoy Javier Solana has said that a
ceasefire was in force in a village held by ethnic Albanian
guerrillas which the Macedonian army had bombarded for the
past three days.
Macedonia had defied international appeals for a third
consecutive day, on Sunday (June 24), bombarding a strategic
village held by ethnic Albanian guerrillas in an assault that
could push the country towards civil war.
But European Union envoy Javier Solana announced on Sunday
afternoon that a ceasefire was in place which he hoped would
extend to the rest of the country adding that political
dialogue should now continue.
A diplomatic source said the ceasefire had taken effect
from 1200 GMT and that international monitors would oversee
the implementation of a demilitarised zone.
Reuters reporters near the village of Aracinovo, blasted
by government forces despite bluntly worded Western pleas for
the army to stop, confirmed the attack had died down after
1130 GMT, when the army laid down a heavy barrage of Katyusha
rockets.
Earlier, Smoke engulfed the whole village of Aracinovo on
Sunday morning (June 24), after a heavier helicopter
bombardment followed by Katyusha missiles.
Three members of the security forces have been reported
killed during what officials say is an operation to "eliminate
terrorists" in Aracinovo. Rebels have threatened to attack the
nearby Belgrade-Athens highway and airport from there.
Macedonia launched the assault on Friday, tearing up an
11-day-old ceasefire in what one official said was an attempt
to force Albanian politicians to drop demands for
constitutional changes most diplomats say are unacceptably
radical.
The guerrillas have fought back and at least 19 members of
the security forces have been hurt, with little change in
positions on the ground.
Diplomats have said since, however, that the Albanian side
appeared prepared to compromise, having secured greater extra
international presence in future talks. The sticking point now
appears to be in the Macedonian camp.
Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski said after talks with
President Boris Trajkovski and top military leaders that
Macedonia was not obliged to call off the attack unless the
rebel National Liberation Army said it was ready to lay down
its weapons.
European Union foreign affairs chief Javier Solana, who
has been shuttling back and forth to Macedonia to try to
broker a peace agreement, is overseeing a twin-track process
of guerrilla disarmament in return for more Albanian rights.
Diplomats fear that if the Macedonian assault is not
stopped and some progress made on the political front by a
Monday EU deadline, the guerrillas might resort to widespread
attacks that could lead the two sides into all-out war.
Georgevski said that instead of all party leaders
travelling to Monday's EU foreign ministers meeting in
Luxembourg to report on the peace process, as planned, Solana
had agreed the foreign minister alone should represent the
country. This change suggested there would be little progress
to report.
Georgievski said peace talks, which began nine days ago
but soon hit deadlock, were expected to resume after Monday.
The prime minister, who has been more hawkish than
Trajkovski, dismissed Albanian politicians' complaints that
they cannot continue negotiations while the assault continues.
The government had been prepared to talk even when its
security forces came under guerrilla attack, he said.
The artillery and tank bombardment was clearly audible in
the capital Skopje around 10 km (six miles) away as it began
for a third day, in defiance of pleas from NATO and world
leaders for a halt.
Reuters reporters in nearby Ilinden saw tanks manoeuvring
into place on the slopes behind the village and smoke rising
from buildings hit in the centre. Three Mi-24 helicopter
gunships made repeated rocket attacks for a third successive
day.
On Friday NATO had urged Macedonia, the only Yugoslav
republic to have managed to break away from the former
federation without a war, to stop the "madness".
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Trajkovski
to urge him to call off the assault.
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