Macedonia peace deal signed

The next challenge is to get peace on the ground

Macedonian and ethnic Albanian political leaders have signed an internationally negotiated peace deal despite a week of the bloodiest fighting of the conflict yet.

Nato Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the deal, saying it "opens the way for a peaceful lasting solution" for Macedonia.

He said the first of Nato's four conditions for the deployment of 3,500 troops to oversee rebel disarmament had been fulfilled.

Peace accord's reported key points

Amends constitution to make country civic society of all ethnic groups, not just Macedonians

Makes Albanian second official language in some areas

More ethnic Albanians in police and other institutions

Allows degree of self-rule in Albanian -dominated areas

But in the run-up to the signing of the accord there were heavy overnight clashes between government forces and armed ethnic Albanian rebels north-west of the capital Skopje. Calm was reported to have been restored across the country on Monday.

Western mediators say the next, urgent step is to negotiate a ceasefire on the ground - a process which Lord Robertson said would begin on Monday evening.

About 30 people died last week in the fiercest fighting seen since ethnic Albanian guerrillas launched their insurgency in February. About 100 people in total have died since the fighting began.

There is light at the end of the tunnel

Nato Secretary-General George Robertson

The rebels, who have not been directly involved in the political negotiations, indicated they would respect the deal.

"The signature of the peace accord represents a victory against Macedonian repression. It's the result of international pressure," Commander Shpati told the French news agency, AFP, adding that the rebel National Liberation Army (NLA) would decide within 15 days whether to lay down its arms.

Lord Robertson called for the political agreement, which aims to address Albanian demands for greater recognition and representation, to be implemented swiftly.

It must be ratified by the Macedonian parliament before it comes into force.

This week saw the highest toll from fighting

The signing ceremony remained a low-key affair, taking place at Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski's residence.

There has been little local media coverage of the peace accord and the Macedonian community is expected to react angrily to the signing of a deal in a week when they have buried so many of their dead.

Nonetheless, Lord Robertson was optimistic about the deal.

"This is a major step forward for the return of the country to normal life. Violence will not win and violence cannot be allowed to win," he said, adding that Macedonia could count on Nato's continuing support.

But there is, he said, still some way before Nato's four conditions for deployment are met:

• Political agreement:
  Satisfied but must be implemented swiftly.

• Durable ceasefire:
  Must see end to violence and provocation and a return to the territorial lines drawn up in Nato's 5 July ceasefire agreement

• Disarmament:
  Guerrillas and government must agree to detail of disarmament plan

• Status of forces:
  Agreement must be met before Nato's Operation Harvest can begin

Done deal?

Details of Monday's deal have not been released. But it is thought to address the key points of Albanian language rights and representation in the police forces as well as a change to the constitution to recognise Macedonia as a multi-ethnic country.

Western envoys hope this will undercut support for the ethnic Albanians' armed struggle.

But observers say many Macedonians will not accept a deal which they perceive as being done under military pressure.

They contest claims by the ethnic Albanian rebels that they are fighting for greater rights for their community, which makes up an estimated 30% of Macedonia's population, and accuse them of making a grab for land and harbouring ambitions to set up an ethnic Albanian mini-state.