A landmark peace accord signed Aug. 13 by Macedonia’s rival political leaders is aimed at putting an end to six months of conflict in the country and clearing the way for NATO troops to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels.
ABC News reported that political leaders representing the Balkan country’s Macedonian majority and its minority ethnic Albanian population formally endorsed the agreement, which gives ethnic Albanians a larger share of power in the police ranks, parliament and education.
NATO Secretary- General Lord Robertson, European Union envoy Javier Solana, French mediator Francois Leotard and U.S. envoy James Pardew were among those attending the signing ceremony at President Boris Trajkovski’s residence.
“[This] is a remarkable moment for the history of Macedonia,” Robertson said. “This day marks the entry of Macedonia into modern, mainstream Europe.”
Conflicting objectives
Militants in Macedonia took up arms in February, saying they were fighting for more rights for ethnic Albanians, who account for about a third of Macedonia’s population of 2 million. The Macedonian government contends the rebels simply want to seize territory.
Although details still must be worked out, the accord paves the way for NATO to send in 3,500 troops to disarm the revels. The British-led mission, dubbed Operation Essential Harvest, would last 30 days and include troops from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
“This is the day when we can begin an end to this conflict and take all the political issues off the table,” said Pardew, who helped broker the accord last week. “After this day, there should be no reason for fighting.”
Ahead of the signing, Macedonia’s government reinstated a cease-fire that had gone ignored over the past two weeks. Trajkovski ordered government forces to stop shooting Sunday “to show goodwill and give a chance” to the peace deal, state television reported.
(TAB)
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