Tense calm after Macedonia riots

The riots followed a ceasefire with ethnic Albanian rebels

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Limited fighting in Tetovo overnight was the only indication of the storm that threatens to engulf Macedonia.

CNN's Nic Robertson said on Wednesday that there had been reports of sporadic rebel attacks on government positions in Tetovo but that the town, like the rest of the country, was now quiet.

But fears remain amongst the international community that Macedonia teeters on the brink of civil war.

VIDEO CNN's Nick Robertson reports on President Trajkovski's struggle to maintain control in Macedonia (June 26) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The European Union has urged Macedonians to step back from violence following riots on Monday and the UK government has warned its citizens not to travel to the region, while the U.S. embassy in Skopje has evacuated non-essential staff.

"We are advising against all travel to Macedonia," a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in London told the Press Association.

"British nationals living in Macedonia may wish to consider leaving the country until the current situation calms down."

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Meanwhile, the U.N. refugee agency has issued an appealed for an additional $17.5 million to be ready for "a worst-case scenario."

Up to 100,000 people have fled the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia since the conflict with rebel ethnic-Albanians began in February.

"UNHCR must be prepared for a worst-case scenario, even though it is not too late for a peaceful solution to be found," said Eric Morris, special envoy for the region for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

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A statement issued by the Geneva headquarters of UNHCR said more than 65,000 Macedonian refugees were in Kosovo, 6,000 were in Serbia and at least 30,000 were displaced inside Macedonia.

"The funds requested would enable UNHCR to support the many thousands of host families that have taken in the refugees," the agency said. It will also provide food and other assistance to the affected population."

More than 8,300 people crossed the border into Kosovo on Sunday -- the highest number since early May -- said UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond.

The number fell to just over 800 people on Monday but aid workers were "geared up for more arrivals amid reports of continued tension," after the riots in Skopje on Monday, he said.

The riots erupted in protest against a cease-fire deal that allowed a Western-led evacuation of ethnic Albanian rebels from Aracinovo village.

A convoy of about 20 buses were used to transport the ethnic Albanian rebels and citizens of the town to the village of Nikustak, about two kilometres away.

The buses were provided by France, Italy and the U.S., nations also taking part in KFOR -- the NATO-led international force responsible for establishing a security presence in neighbouring Kosovo.

The move prompted the Balkan state's President Boris Trajkovski to issue a stark warning on the threat of civil war.

"In a national address in TV and radio he said: "Every step of the Macedonian territory will be defended."

But he added: "You gave me a mandate for peace and tranquility, not war. Rage on the streets is not the answer."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Trajkovski had Britain's full support "in working for stability in the face of extremism" while also issuing a warning to citizens not to travel to the country.

Straw, who postponed a visit to Skopje on Tuesday in the wake of the anti-government demonstrations, said: "In the end the future of Macedonia depends on the willingness of the peoples within (the) territory to go the way of peace.

"We are going to continue to do everything we can to ensure that a peaceful path is laid out for people."