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Macedonia's Ethnically Mixed Police Enter Rebel-Held Areas
Macedonia's ethnically mixed police on Monday entered the north and northwestern contested areas formerly held by rebels for the first time in the past seven months, news reports reaching here said.
The first patrol team made up of three ethnic Albanian police and three Macedonian police entered Lopetje village. Also entering the villages were observers and representatives of the European Union (EU) and NATO.
Then several other patrol teams were deployed in four other villages in Tetovo region. All the police patrols are reportedly allowed to carry machine guns when entering the villages.
According to an agreement reached Wednesday between the Macedonian government and EU and NATO representatives, Macedonia' s ethnically mixed patrols will enter villages across the contested north and northwest with more weapons and backup.
If the police deployment goes on smoothly, a Macedonian official said, the government will consider a plan for sending more patrols in the 80 villages in the contested areas.
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