Global Policy Forum

By Robert Holloway

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned terrorist violence in Macedonia and called on ethnic Albanian political and community leaders throughout the Balkans to repudiate it. A council resolution demanded that "all those who are currently engaged in armed action against the authorities" in Macedonia and Yugoslavia cease such acts immediately, "lay down their weapons and return to their homes." It called on political leaders in Kosovo and ethnic Albanian community leaders elsewhere "publicly to condemn violence and ethnic intolerance and to use their influence to secure peace."

The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15 council members exactly one hour after the expiry of a Macedonian deadline for ethnic Albanian guerrillas to surrender or leave the country.

The ultimatum, which expired at midnight in Macedonia (2300 GMT), warned the guerrillas they faced shelling by security forces if they failed to comply with its demands. Reports from the flashpoint town of Tetovo, in northern Macedonia, said the deadline passed quietly, with no weapons fired, and that inhabitants observed a nighttime curfew. The guerrillas, who say they are fighting for more rights for Macedonia's Albanian minority, said hours earlier that they were observing a unilateral ceasefire with a view to starting negotiations with Skopje.

The council resolution, sponsored by Britain and France, was designed to send a strong political message rather than take decisions, diplomats said. It contained no reference to sanctions or other actions which the United Nations might take. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said earlier Wednesday that his country would submit a council resolution that obliged Balkan states to "cooperate on the eradication of terrorism and extremism." Speaking to reporters in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, Ivanov said the Russian draft would also allow for appropriate punishments in line with the UN Charter.

The Franco-British text, adopted as Resolution 1345, was adopted after several hours of wrangling over amendments suggested by Russia. Diplomats said these aimed chiefly at inserting language to insist on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Yugoslavia. Russia has repeatedly sided with Yugoslavia in opposing the notion of independence for Kosovo, which has been under UN administration since June 1999, when NATO drove Yugoslav forces out of the province.

Resolution 1345 strongly condemned extremist violence, including terrorist activities, in parts of Macedonia and parts of southern Serbia. It noted that the violence "has support from ethnic Albanian extremists outside these areas and constitutes a threat to the security and stability of the wider region." It called on "all those who have contact with the extremist armed groups to make clear that they have no support from any quarter in the international community."

The resolution also supported efforts by the Macedonian and Yugoslav governments to end the violence "in a manner consistent with the rule of law." Minutes before the ultimatum to the guerrillas expired, Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski ordered his army to establish order on the borders. "Terrorism must be eliminated, and we condemn the use of arms for political motives," Trajkovski, who is also commander in chief of the armed forces, said after an emergency meeting with political party leaders.

The council called on all states to "consider how they can best give practical help to efforts in the region to further strengthen democratic, multiethnic societies" and to respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.