Amid new fighting, more Macedonian refugees flee to Kosovo
By David Josar, Kosovo
bureau
David Josar / Stars and Stripes
Macedonians flee their homes for Kosovo. Officials from the Red Cross said the flight of
families increased this weekend after fighting between the Macedonian government and
ethnic Albanian rebels resumed. |
BLACE, Kosovo — About 7,000 Macedonian refugees have crossed the
border into Kosovo in the past two days as fighting resumed between ethnic Albanian rebels
and the Macedonian military.
“All I know is I have to get out now,” said Ramiz Provoliu,
who left Saturday in a car driven by a friend from his Skopje, Macedonia, home. His wife
and infant son were in the backseat as they waited at the border crossing.
“We can hear the fighting at night again. It was time to
go,” he said.
The refugee count on Friday at the Blace border crossing was 3,232
people, a jump from 726 a day before, according to Isa Skhmeta of the Mother Teresa aid
group in Kosovo. Skhmeta tallied people as they entered a relief tent about 200 yards on
the Kosovo side of the border.
Most of the people coming through believed a cease-fire brokered
about 10 days ago between the Albanian rebels and the Macedonia government was not going
to hold much longer, Skhmeta said.
“Everyone is afraid,” Skhmeta said, chain-smoking Lucky
Strikes as he wrote the names of refugees who passed by his table. “They’re
afraid things are going to get much worse before they get even a little better.”
David Josar / Stars and Stripes
A busload of Macedonian refugees at the border prepares Saturday to ride to several Kosovo
communities that have agreed to host refugees. |
Looking through bloodshot eyes, Isup Gafurri said he was relieved
when the bus he was on pulled away from the Kosovo-Macedonia border on Saturday.
“Now, I have a chance,” said Gafurri, one of about 50
people on the bus operated by the International Organization for Migration that was
heading for Pristina.
He fled his Macedonian village, Breze, about four months ago to
another village. But over the past few days, skirmishes between the Albanian rebels and
Macedonian military returned.
“It was time to go,” said Gafurri, a farmer who was hoping
to find relatives outside Pristina. His wife, whom he had spoken with last night, was
already there.
Late Friday night, Macedonian forces initiated attacks against ethnic
Albanian rebels positioned outside the capital, Skopje.
The government broke an 11-day cease-fire with a heavy offensive
against rebel positions north of the capital. The fight was less intense Saturday, but
troops continued to fire mortars and rockets at their main target of Aracinovo, a suburb
seized by the rebels earlier this month.
Isup Garuffi |
The rebels say there should be more rights in Macedonia for ethnic
Albanians, who make up roughly one-third of the population. Macedonian officials say the
rebels want to break off a piece of the country and join with Kosovo.
NATO has offered to send in troops for about 30 days to disarm rebels
— but only if a peace deal is reached. Some refugees crossing into Kosovo said they
believe the alliance’s presence would move to bring peace in the region.
NATO’s presence could force the two sides to hold serious talks
aimed at reaching a political solution inside the country, said Muharrem Krasniqi, 26, who
was waiting for family members to cross into Kosovo on Saturday.
“If they begin talking, I think there could be an agreement.
NATO could help them do that,” said Krasniqi, who is sharing a four-room house in
Kosovo with 25 people. “It just has to get safe again.”
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