Macedonia: Rebels: Ethnic Albanian rebels willing to negotiate peace

(20 Mar 2001) Natural Sound

Ethnic Albanian rebels battling for greater rights said on Tuesday they were willing to negotiate a peaceful settlement to end their week-old insurgency, but warned Macedonia's government to respond or the fighting would continue.

But in a rebel held village above the Macedonian city of Tetovo, rebel ethnic Albanian soldiers maintained that they are committed to creating an independent country within Macedonia.

Artillery shells from Macedonian forces less than two miles away regularly fall across the steep valley of Selce, the main rebel stronghold outside Tetovo, Macedonia's second largest city.

But so far, it has proven out of reach of the guns for now.

But there is no electricity anymore, and the roads to the city are blocked.

The only way into the village of 3,400 is a four-hour hike over hills and through alpine meadows.

Through attack and isolation, Macedonian authorities hope to snuff out the insurgents' drive to make ethnic Albanians equal partners with the Slavs, who control the government and the armed forces.

But there is no sign of submission by the commander of the rebels in Selce.

The government sent tanks rumbling into Tetovo on Monday and said preparations were under way for a major counter-offensive.

But its response to the rebels on the outskirts of the city has been mainly restricted to six days of artillery barrages of suspected insurgent positions.

Many Macedonians living in the hills have fled the shelling and fighting.

But one couple, Tomo and Tripka Bazetski are too old and infirm to leave and have resigned themselves to staying in the area.

Rebels say they have no quarrel with people like them, but that their problem is with the Macedonian government.

Ethnic Albanians account for at least a quarter of Macedonia's two (m) million people, and ethnic relations in Slav-dominated Macedonia have been relatively trouble-free.

Although an ethnic Albanian party is a partner in the government substantial numbers of the minority feel they are treated as second-class citizens.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
"Even if it means we fight to the last soldier, we will enter Tetovo. We want to separate the Albanian part of Macedonia and create an indpendent country."
SUPER CAPTION: Commander Mala, Rebel Leader

SOUNDBITE: (Macedonian)
Q: "How are you feeling after the bombing of Tetovo?"
"We're just afraid, nothing else. We can't change the situation, there's nothing we can do about it."
SUPER CAPTION: Tomo Bazetski and his wife Tripka, Macedonian farmers

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"If they don't allow us to live free we will win that freedom by fighting against the army."
SUPER CAPTION: Ethnic Albanian Macedonian

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