By Nexhat Aqifi*
May 11, 2001
KUMANVO, Macedonia -- With the sounds of helicopter gun ships overhead and explosions in the nearby rebel-held villages, the streets of Kumanovo are understandably deserted.
Most residents of this northern Macedonian city, with a population of 90,000 including Macedonians, Albanians, Serbs, Vlahs and Roma, agree with Selver Halimi 's assessment that "The war has started."
With the Macedonian Army shelling suspected rebel positions just a few miles to the west, schools are closed and few shops are open. The city was even forced to cancel a football match because many of the players live in areas currently under fire. An overnight curfew has been imposed.
As might be expected in this ethnically divided community, opinions differ on who is to blame for the current violence.
One Macedonian man firmly backs the military. "Our army is protecting the country from the terrorists," he said.
Albanians are more circumspect, not openly criticizing the Albanian rebels in the National Liberation Army (NLA) and expressing grave concern over the military actions of the army. "I can't believe this is happening," said Ilijaz Abazi. "Civilians are being targeted by rockets and helicopters while villages are razed to the ground.."
The most recent offensive was triggered by the reported killing and kidnapping of several members of the security forces by Albanian rebels. Before launching their attack, Macedonian authorities called on civilians to evacuate the villages of Slupcane and Vaksince, where rebel forces were suspected of hiding.
Slupcane, which has seen the most intense shelling, had a population of around 5,000. About 2000 people lived in Vaksince. Except for a small number of women and children who apparently fled towards the Kosovo and Serbia borders before the shelling started, most residents appeared to stay in their villages.
The Macedonian Army claims the villagers are being used by
the NLA as "human
shields" to deter attacks. While enjoying international support,
the Macedonian Army has been bluntly cautioned by Western officials
in Brussels and Washington to avoid civilian casualties.
But ethnic Albanians contacted in the villages deny the charge. "It is not true that Albanian guerrillas are using women and children as hostages," Ljumnuse Avdilji said in a telephone conversation from Vaksince. "We are not terrorists and we are not attacking anyone. In fact, we are being attacked by Macedonian forces."
While it's impossible to obtain accurate casualty reports, or to determine which are civilians and which are guerrillas wounded, a local doctor is quoted as saying that as many as 8 people have been killed in the shelling, with about another 50 wounded.
Meanwhile, rebels sources here boast to the local media of having acquired sophisticated military equipment. They claim to have fought off Macedonian military attacks and to have shot down three helicopters and captured two tanks. Macedonian officials deny any losses.
All this creates further tensions in Kumanovo. With a population composed of a potentially volatile mixture of Serbs, ethnic Macedonians and Albanians, the concern is that the current situation could explode in violent ethnic attacks.
So far there have been no incidents in the city. Local politicians and the police appeal for calm and urged residents of all ethnic backgrounds not to respond to provocations.
The question is how much influence any of these politicians have, given the current situation. One night, rumors spread throughout the Albanian community that ethnic Macedonians and Serbs were preparing to destroy Albanian houses. The next morning, hundreds of Albanians families left Kumanovo for the Macedonian capital of Skopje..
Even those who decided to stay wait and worry that the violence will soon touch their lives. "We are waiting in our houses to see what will happen next," said one worried Albanian. "It is better to stay inside then to go out. It might be risky."
A forty-year old Serb agrees. "I am afraid that my children
might become
victims of this madness," he said.
Nexhat Aqifi is a journalist who writes for the Institute
for War & Peace Reporting, a London-based independent media
organization that provided this article for distribution by the
Global Beat Syndicate.