The Macedonian government has extended its suspension of army attacks on ethnic Albanian rebels, engaged in fighting since March. On Sunday, Macedonia's new national unity government suspended the shelling of rebel-held villages around the northern town of Kumanovo, but warned Albanian rebels of the National Liberation army to "leave Macedonian territory or lay down arms" by noon on today, or face a new army assault.
Government troops exchanged fire with rebels near the northern village of Slupcane last night, in what the army called the worst fighting since 3 May. But there was no sign of the threatened army offensive when the deadline expired today.
The previous ultimatum provoked appeals for restraint from Western powers, fearing for the safety of some 1,000 civilians trapped in crowded cellars in frontline villages and for the future of the Macedonian government coalition. Albanian civilians are said to have moved out of rebel-held villages.
European diplomats were deployed to the capitals of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo ahead of the deadline in an effort to persuade Albanian politicians to exert pressure on the rebels to surrender their positions. The EU Commissioner for External Affairs said that the rebels offered no solution to the grievances of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. Chris Patten is in the Macedonian capital, Skopje.
