NATO mission to avert civil war in Macedonia

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, JULY 26. Four months after structuring a dialogue of some sort, Macedonia is fast sinking into civil war. Sensing the danger, NATO and the European Union on Thursday launched a ``war crisis mission''.

Lord Robertson, Secretary General of NATO and Mr. Javier Solana, the E.U.'s foreign policy chief, embarked on the mission to ensure the territorial integrity of Macedonia and prevent the country from sliding into chaos. On the eve of their departure to the Balkans, Lord Robertson told mediapersons at the NATO headquarters: ``The situation is critical. The country faces a grave crisis and I call on those involved to follow the path of peace and not war.''

In recent days, fighting between the Macedonian Government forces and secessionist ethnic Albanians has escalated. On Tuesday night, there were riots in Macedonia's capital Skopje by ethnic Slavs who accuse NATO and the E.U. of favouring the rebels. Both NATO and the E.U. have vehemently denied the allegations, but observers point out that the chasm between Macedonians, local Albanians and the E.U. and NATO may be widening.

Lord Robertson and Mr. Solana will try to patch up ``differences and misunderstandings'' by talking to both sides to reach a political compromise and failing that, NATO has drawn up plans to send 3,00 troops into the region to supervise a future ceasefire. NATO also proposes to disband the National Liberation Army (NLA) of the secessionist groups which has been engaged in conflicts with Government forces.

The main priority of NATO and the E.U. is to halt the fighting and bring the warring factions to the negotiating table. There is much distrust between the two factions. The Albanians also want their language to be accepted and recognised by the Macedonian Government. Macedonians have strongly objected to this on the premise that it may lead to a break-up of the Macedonian state.

Lord Robertson described this as ``pigheadedness'' which may cause a new Balkan bloodbath.

A similar initiative, then described as a ``fact- finding mission'', was undertaken in March by Mr. Solana. Macedonia's Prime Minister, Mr. Georgievski, then rebuked NATO units in Kosovo for ``not doing enough'' to prevent an assault by Albanian guerillas on Macedonia's second largest town of Tetovo.

The ethnic Albanians in Macedonia constitute 22.7 per cent of the population, according to the last census but according to independent observers this could be nearly 35 per cent. The extremist factions of the mainly Muslim ethnic Albanians have demanded a ``greater Islamic Albania'' which may comprise parts of Macedonia and Kosovo.

Both NATO and the E.U. leaders have irrevocably rejected such demands on the premise that post-World War II boundaries of Europe cannot be altered by violence.

The current military conflict in the Macedonian region is rated as a serious regional crisis. Independent observers note that the speed with which this ``rag-tag'' group of bandits have transformed themselves into a fighting unit has baffled Western military observers and raised speculation about ``outside'' interference. Accusing fingers are pointed at Islamic fundamentalist states and organisations for extending financial, technical and material support to the secessionist movement. The vast majority of Macedonia's two million population are ethnic Slavs and Orthodox Christians.

Apart from Mr. Solana, the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, has visited the region for talks with Macedonian and Yugoslavian leaders. Both Russia and major European powers are committed to maintaining the territorial integrity of the Balkan states.

But since last week's serious fighting on the Yugoslav and Macedonian borders, the scenario has changed. The war waged by Albanian guerillas puts NATO's credibility and impartiality on the line. Lord Robertson said recently: ``NATO is determined that those extremist elements seeking to sow instability or to advance their political agenda by violent means will be stopped, whether in southern Serbia, in the former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia or within Kosovo''.

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