Macedonia seeks breakthrough

Politicians aim to implement the president's peace plan

Macedonian and Albanian political leaders are locked in urgent negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the insurgency by rebel ethnic Albanians.

Leaders from the two Macedonian and two ethnic Albanian parties which make up Macedonia's government of national unity are holding talks with President Boris Trajkovski at a secret location in the capital, Skopje.

They hope to find a political settlement which will allow a peace agreement to disarm the rebels, drafted by President Trajkovski, to be implemented with Nato backing.

The rebels extended their unilateral ceasefire for an additional 12 days from Thursday midnight, keeping up the uneasy truce which is currently holding between the guerrillas and the Macedonian army.

Constitution

Diplomatic sources say the politicians are under intense pressure to make a breakthrough in the current talks if the government is to retain the backing of the European Union and Nato.

The West demands that the Macedonians make significant concessions to ethnic Albanian demands for increased rights and recognition.

Refugees continue to flood across the border to Kosovo

President Trajkovski said the discussion would include, "even the most difficult and sensitive issues".

This meant, according to his aides, that the thorny question of changes to the country's constitution would be on the table for the first time.

Ethnic Albanians want the constitution to accord their population equal status with the Macedonians. Currently they are considered an ethnic minority alongside others.

But some Macedonians fear this would only incite further nationalism and lead to the break up of the country.

Disarmament

President Trajkovski's plan calls for a ceasefire, partial amnesty for rebels who disarm voluntarily and more inclusion of the Albanians into state bodies and institutions.

A truce is generally holding

Nato has expressed a willingness to oversee the disarmament, but has stopped short of offering a peacekeeping force like those deployed in Kosovo and Bosnia.

The rebels have demanded that Nato forces guarantee the proposed ceasefire and police any political settlement.

They also want to be included in the negotiations - a demand the government refuses.

Refugees

On the ground, brief incidents of shooting and shelling overnight disturbed the ceasefire which is otherwise holding.

But refugees continued to flood across Macedonia's borders to the north.

The UN refugee agency said 28,000 people had left Macedonia this week, most of them to Kosovo though some to southern Serbia.

Armed ethnic Albanians began their insurgency in February and, despite heavy military deployment by the Macedonian army, have succeeded in taking control of one village near Skopje and a string of villages in the north of the country.