Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Macedonian Villages Say Cut off From World by Albanian Rebels SKOPJE, Jul 31, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Seven villages in northwestern Macedonia pleaded for food and medicines from international aid organizations on Monday, saying they had been cut off from the rest of the world by ethnic Albanian guerrillas. "The situation is more than alarming. We lack food and medicine in the seven small villages which make up the municipality," the mayor of Vratnica village, Toni Kocevski, told AFP by telephone. "We are cut off from the rest of the country and the world," he said, saying he had issued a plea to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for help. Northern Macedonia has been the scene of recent heavy fighting between ethnic Albanian rebels of the National Liberation Army and Macedonian government forces over minority rights in the Balkan country. The seven villages lie at the northwestern tip of the country, in the valley linking the flashpoint town of Tetovo and the border with the UN-administrated Serbian province of Kosovo. They are Vratnica, Beloviste, Staro Selo, Rogacevo, Gorno Orasje, Dolno Orasje and Jazince. The key road should in theory have been made safe, under last week's NATO-brokered withdrawal from key positions by the rebels which opened the way for Macedonian peace talks. A spokeswoman for the ICRC, Amanda Williamson, said that medicines had been delivered to the area last week. "We are monitoring the situation, and other deliveries are planned," she said. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
