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EU's Solana Brokers A New Ceasefire in Macedonia
SKOPJE, June 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday he had brokered a ceasefire between the Macedonian army and ethnic Albanian activists who have been fighting a pitched battle on the edge of the capital for three days.
"There is a ceasefire here, it is agreed and it is good. Skopje now is not under threat," Solana, who is on a Balkans peace mission, told reporters outside Aracinovo, the battleground town on the outskirts of Skopje.
Solana, who spoke after meeting with Macedonia's defense and interior ministers, Vlado Buckovski and Ljube Boskovski, did not specify the duration of the ceasefire.
The meeting took place in a hotel near Skopje, about one kilometer (less than one mile) outside of Aracinovo, which had been bombarded since Friday by Macedonian forces.
A Albanian leader in northern Macedonia told AFP that talks were underway for the armed Albanian activists to evacuate Aracinovo.
"There are negotiations underway for the National Liberation Army (NLA) to withdraw from Aracinovo," said Commander Sokoli, adding that the fighters would probably pull out to the town of Lipkovo to the north, a Albanian stronghold for six weeks.
"We have set as a condition that NATO observers are deployed in Aracinovo and that the Macedonian army does not enter the town," he said.
Immediately after the ceasefire was announced, a delegation of high-level NATO and western representatives headed into the besieged town, accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The army had launched a surprise attack on Friday against the ethnic Albanian NLA, tearing up a two-week ceasefire to blast the activists who had threatened to mortar bomb Skopje.
The attack ran into sharp Western criticism as it came just two days after delicate multi-ethnic talks on political reform to boost Albanian rights stalled.
"Before I leave the country I'd like to say how pleased I am with the ceasefire," said Solana, calling it "a very important step for the future of the country."
"The EU and international community will always be with you to help you with European progress," he said, adding the country had "shown a great sense of responsibility."
His remarks were in sharp contrast to the condemnation meted out Friday by NATO Secretary General George Robertson, who warned it was "madness" to renew fighting at such a sensitive time.
It was not known if the Western delegation met with the Albanian leader, Commander Hoxha, who had earlier said his superiors in the NLA had ordered him to observe a ceasefire.
The truce came after a three-day bombardment by the Macedonian security force, which lost at least four men dead and seven injured, climaxed in a massive barrage of fire from helicopter gunships, tanks, artillery, mortars and machineguns.
The town has taken a heavy pounding over the weekend, and the army said it had entered at least halfway into Aracinovo Saturday.
But Hoxha denied they had taken a single house, saying his men had repulsed the advance, destroying three tanks and two armored troop carriers.
He said he had lost only one fighter killed and two injured, and said if they withdraw into the mountains they will take their weapons with them.
President Boris Trajkovski had announced that political talks to address Albanian demands for more rights had foundered Wednesday.
Both sides said later they were hopeful the dialogue could continue, although Albanians said the fighting must stop.
NATO has promised to send in some 3,000 troops to help implement Trajkovski's partial amnesty and Albanian disarmament plan but only if a peace deal and ceasefire is agreed on first.
Several NATO countries have already earmarked troops for the possible deployment.
The armed Albanian activists, who say they are fighting for more Albanian rights, are demanding a seat of the talks despite persistent refusal of the Macedonians.
The gunmen have yet to respond to the amnesty plan, which would not extend to their leaders.
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