Macedonia peace 'back on track'

Refugees could be heading home soon

The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said that Macedonia's peace process is back on track after last-ditch diplomatic efforts to avert a civil war.

His comments followed an announcement from Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski that peace talks with ethnic Albanian rebels would resume in the northern town of Tetovo.

Ethnic Albanian rebels have also started withdrawing their forces around Tetovo, in line with a Nato-brokered ceasefire deal.

This has to be the very last push for a political process

Diplomatic source

Defence ministry officials said rebels were dismantling road blocks and barricades near Tetovo and Macedonians who had fled the region would be bussed back in the afternoon.

There have been no reports of any serious fighting in the area since the truce was agreed.

The withdrawal is a crucial part of the Nato deal aimed at reinstating an earlier ceasefire and allowing thousands of Macedonians driven from their villages during four days of fighting to return home.

Speaking after a day of talks in the capital Skopje, Mr Solana described both the ceasefire and resumption of talks as "of tremendous importance."

Macedonia's hardline Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski was reported as saying peace talks with ethnic Albanian leaders would resume on Friday.

Diplomatic effort

The talks, which were also attended by Nato Secretary-General George Robertson, were aimed at halting renewed clashes between government troops and rebels.

The government was threatening an offensive

On arrival, Lord Robertson told reporters he was cautiously optimistic.

"We can help to take the negotiators back on track, and I hope we'll see this country out of the killing," he said.

Tensions had risen a day before when the Macedonian Government repeated its earlier threat to mount an all-out military assault on rebel positions.

But despite the apparent renewal of the truce, a rebel commander near Tetovo warned that his forces might not be able to respect the ceasefire.

Commandant Leka, a 35-year-old veteran of campaigns in neighbouring Kosovo, said his men had moved into nearby villages to protect ethnic Albanians because Macedonian residents had been given guns.

Panic

The previous ceasefire was shattered on Sunday night by fighting in Tetovo, which government officials said caused thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Macedonians protest at peace proposals

But the government warning of a renewed military campaign has apparently prompted thousands more people in a wider area to leave their homes.

Albanian representatives pulled out of peace talks last week after Macedonian officials rejected a draft settlement proposed by envoys James Pardew of the United States and Francois Leotard of the EU.

The plan apparently called for Albanian to become an official language in areas where ethnic Albanians are a majority, and for greater Albanian representation in the country's police force.