Solana secures four-party agreement in Macedonia

Javier Solana, the EU's chief envoy for foreign and security policy, reached an agreement in Skopje on 29 May with the two largest Macedonian and two largest ethnic Albanian political parties. The parties agreed to resume the "political dialogue" and keep the broad-based coalition government intact. Solana told reporters in Budapest the next day that the agreement does not solve the underlying political problems but is "a step in the right direction," RFE/RL reported. The agreement came in the wake of tensions following a joint declaration reached in Prizren, Kosova, between the Democratic Party of the Albanians (PDSH), the Party of Democratic Prosperity (PPD), and the guerrillas of the National Liberation Front (UCK) (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 May 2001, and "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 29 May 2001). PM
WHAT LIES BEHIND THE MACEDONIAN PACT?

The BBC's Serbian Service commented on 30 May that Solana's four-party agreement is the result of "immense foreign pressure" on the parties. The broadcast added that the PDSH and PPD must have had "at least a tacit understanding" with the UCK before accepting the agreement. The UCK wants to be included in the political process on the south Serbian model, which Slavic politicians reject. Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski said that he considers the Prizren agreement to be a dead letter. PM

MACEDONIAN PRIME MINISTER SEEKING MILITARY SOLUTION?

Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski told reporters before beginning talks with Solana in Skopje on 29 May that the two largest ethnic Albanian parties must "clearly and unambiguously" renounce the Prizren agreement with the UCK. He said that, if needed, the government is determined to "fight to crush the terrorists, until they realize they must give up," AP reported. The BBC quoted local Albanians near the border with Kosova on 30 May as saying that they believe that the Macedonian forces are trying to "destroy the infrastructure" there. In Budapest the previous day, NATO foreign ministers called for "urgent and concrete steps" to achieve a political settlement in Macedonia, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. NATO ruled out any political role for the armed rebels. PM

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: BURNINGS AND BEATINGS IN MACEDONIA

The New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch said in a statement on 29 May that "Macedonian government forces arbitrarily shelled and burned the ethnic Albanian village of Runica [on 21 May] and beat some of its civilian inhabitants... Six members of one family were wounded by mortar fire and one man was killed. Seven other civilians were severely beaten." Holly Cartner, the executive director of the NGO's Europe and Central Asia division, said: "Our investigations show that Macedonian forces burned civilians' homes and beat some villagers last week in the village of Runica. These crimes must be impartially investigated, and those responsible brought to account." Villagers who fled "provided highly consistent accounts of the attack," the statement added (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 May 2001). PM

CIVILIANS BEING EVACUATED IN MACEDONIA

The UNHCR has offered to assist in the evacuation of ethnic Albanian civilians from villages between Kumanovo and the Kosova frontier that was scheduled to take place on 30 May, AP reported. The UNHCR believes that up to 10,000 civilians are "trapped" in the area. Macedonian police arranged for "dozens of busses" to help take the civilians out. Macedonian government officials said that continuing exchanges of machine-gun fire between their forces and the UCK in the area would not hinder the evacuation. PM

TRADE UNIONS PROTEST IN MACEDONIA

The Macedonian Union of Trade Unions (SSM) staged country-wide protests on 29 May. According to the Skopje daily "Dnevnik," some 15,000 protesters blocked several main roads throughout Macedonia. The largest rally ended in front of the government building in Skopje. "The trade unions are aware that a war is going on, but the government has to understand that if it does not find a way to communicate with us, it will face social unrest as well as the war," SSM leader Zivko Tolevski said. He promised further large-scale strikes if the government refuses to talk about economic and social problems with the unions. UB

NEW PARTY FORMED IN MACEDONIA

A Skopje court registered the Democratic Muslim Party (DMP) under the leadership of Tefik Kadri on 24 May. According to lawyer Memet Muratovski, the party's activities will concentrate on western Macedonia and the city of Skopje, the Skopje daily "Utrinski vesnik" reported on 29 May. This party is only the latest in a series of newly founded political organizations. Others include the ethnic Albanian National Democratic Party (NDP), under the leadership of Kastriot Haxhirexha; the Party of the Vlachs (PNV); and New Democracy (ND), which is made up mainly of former members of the Democratic Alternative. UB

=A9 2001 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved.