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New front opens in Macedonia
SKOPJE, Macedonia (CNN) -- Macedonian security forces have started shelling a village held by ethnic Albanian rebels in the northeast of the country. The shelling of Nikustak could be heard from newly-liberated Aracinovo as police units searched homes in the village, looking for any rebels who had stayed behind after a withdrawal brokered by the European Union. Ethnic Albanian rebels were escorted from Aracinovo under NATOescort on Monday prompting riots in the capital, Skopje, by Slav nationalists, angry that the rebels were allowed to keep their weapons. Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski appealed for calm on Tuesday following a night of violent protests in Skopje in which the parliament building was stormed. About 5,000 Slav demonstrators were protesting against the government's handling of a ceasefire with ethnic Albanian rebels and demanded Trajkovski's resignation.
Trajkovski addressed his nation in a recorded televised statement. He said that Monday night's violent events were not a path towards national unity. He defended a deal that allowed ethnic Albanian rebels to leave a nearby village without surrendering their weapons. Trajkovski had to be evacuated from parliament late on Monday after the demonstrators stormed the building. "You gave me a mandate for peace and tranquility, not war," Trajkovski said in a speech broadcast on radio and television. "The rage on the streets is not the answer," Trajkovski said, adding that his government had accomplished what it set out to do. He said actions against what he described as terrorists would continue, even as diplomatic efforts moved forward. "Every step of the Macedonian territory will be defended," he said. He said the protesters had chosen "an evil path and were trying to destroy the unity of this country." But CNN's Nic Robertson said it is not clear if his appeal would be heeded "by the hardliners who were out on the streets last night." Trajkovski was originally supposed to speak on Tuesday morning, but that was delayed as he consulted with other politicians. He said his government was united in its approach to the crisis. Sources inside the president's office have told CNN politicians are panicky over how to prevent a repeat of Monday night's storming of parliament. Skopje was quiet on Tuesday, but remained tense after Monday night's violent protests, which came during a day that started with great progress following the European Union-backed ceasefire that quickly degenerated. Demonstrators were furious over what they said was Trajkovski's bowing to international pressure by allowing rebels to take their weapons with them as they pulled back from the town of Aracinovo -- a suburb of Skopje. They said he was too lenient with the rebels and demanded the Macedonian government take a tougher stand. -- CNN's Nic Robertson and Juliette Terzieff contributed to this report.
RELATED STORIES: Macedonia president flees protesters RELATED SITES: Government of the Republic of Macedonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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