7. MODALITIES - Part 02

7. MODALITIES

a) Ceasefire applies to all weapons, including the installation of mines or improvised devices.

b) The Government of the Republic of Macedonia is taking all possible measures to ensure security and freedom of movement for all international community personnel.

c) They will maintain the current position of their armed forces, except where arrangements are made to enable local disengagements or where government forces are instructed to return to the barracks. The ceasefire must not be exploited to improve their positions.

8. WARNING

a) After the ceasefire goes into effect, law enforcement forces will perform their duties without bias and will fully act against all threats to the Republic of Macedonia without any ethnic, religious, or racial prejudice.

b) None of the above ceasefire provisions will be interpreted as loss of the inherent right to self-defense, meaning using proportional force necessary for self-defense from limited or continuous attack. Any use of force must be limited to the extent, intensity and duration necessary for self-defense and no more. Revenge is not self-defense and represents a violation of the ceasefire.

Chief of Staff of General Headquarters Lieutenant General, Pande Petrovski s.r.

Chief of the Interior Ministry police units General, Risto Galevski

* * *

August 2001

Dear Vice President,

In response to a letter received from President Boris Trajkovski on June 14, 2001, in which he sought help from NATO to disarm the ethnic Albanian armed groups, I have the honour to inform you that the ethnic Albanian armed groups have given their commitment to a disarmament, which represents one of the elements of NAC (North Atlantic Council) for NATO to provide assistance for this purpose in close coordination with your authorities. The authorities of the Republic of Macedonia will be informed of the detailed military plan for the collection of weapons compiled by the commander of Task Force ‘Harvest’ right after NAC decides to authorize the realignment of forces. As you know the prerequisites for this displacement are as follows:

- Permanent ceasefire respected by all parties; - General political agreement between the main political parties; - Agreement with the authorities of the Republic of Macedonia on the status of Task Force Harvest and conditions on which Task Force Harvest will carry out its mission; - Plan prepared by NATO and accepted by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia that defines the modalities and the time and space for the decommissioning of weapons, including explicit consent of the ethnic Albanian armed groups for their willingness to completely surrender their arms.

The mission of Task Force Harvest will be tasked to conduct limited operations in the Republic of Macedonia in order to collect and remove weapons and ammunition from disarmed ethnic Albanian groups as part of the resolution of the crisis in the country. The Force will be deployed in a limited time period in which the

operation of collecting arms will not exceed 30 days. The Force will consist of a multinational single size brigade.

As you know, NATO legal advisers and those from your side are currently working on a formal agreement that will define the status and personnel of Task Force Harvest, including an Agreement that spells out your request. Task Force Harvest is authorized to use force for self-defense and for the protection and implementation of the mission, including the possibility of removing any party that would hinder the implementation of the mission as it is defined here.

Task Force Harvest will passively collect all weapons and ammunition surrendered by the ethnic Albanian armed groups and will coordinate its destruction. All collected ammunition and explosives will be destroyed in the country. All collected weapons will be removed and destroyed in a third party country, unless Task Force Harvest Command believes that it is not safe. Representatives of the Republic of Macedonia will be invited by Task Force Harvest Command to observe the operation.

First, those members of the armed groups who turn in their weapons and ammunition will not be detained, except in certain cases. This is a measure taken to protect the forces, for self-defense purposes and to efficiently implement the mission.

In performing its mission, Task Force Harvest will make arrangements to connect with your central and local authorities in order to facilitate the creation and necessary coordination to ensure full transparency in the execution of the operation. There will be no state security forces present during the weapon’s collection operation in any of the areas designated as location for those tasks. Representatives from the Republic of Macedonia, authorized by Task Force Harvest Command, will be invited to observe the operation.

You are invited to accept responsibility for the security and freedom of movement for NATO forces and International Community personnel involved in the disarmament process in the Republic of Macedonia and to take all possible measures to minimize the risk to their safety out of the weapons collection locations and to

temporarily relocate your security forces as determined by NATO so that the disarming process can be realized.

I think there are a number of other measures that your government must also take in order for this operation to succeed. First, as a measure of confidence building, you are required to stop all military air operations during the operation, with the exception of those made for regular logistics needs and casualty evacuation in an emergency that will be carried out in coordination with Task Force Harvest Command. Furthermore, you are required to pull all heavy weaponry and garrison forces away from the ethnic Albanian groups during the collection of weapons, taking into account requirements for the protection of the Macedonian security forces.

Second, as provided in the Plan and Program, members of the ethnic Albanian armed groups should be given opportunities for reintegration into society, including adequate amnesty, in order to overcome the crisis.

Third, after the operation is completed, the state security forces, with the participation of ethnic Albanian police officers, will carry out normal peacetime law enforcement duties in all parts of the country without opposition or interference. During the implementation, security forces will strictly abide by international humanitarian standards and general principles of human rights and will accept monitoring by the OSCE and EUM. Your authorities must ensure that no irregular forces or armed civilian groups are activated in the crisis regions.

I would be grateful if I can get your written confirmation that the content of this letter constitutes the basis for implementing the operation.

Sincerely, Peter Faith Personal Representative to the NATO Secretary General

Vice President Filipovski President of the Coordinating Body

REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA MINISTRY OF DEFENSE General Headquarters

Dear Peter Faith,

As signatories of the ceasefire document, we would like to inform you that on July 29, 2001, around 19:15 hours, our forces, stationed in the vicinity of the village Lavtsi, came under machinegun fire from the village Gaire (from the mosque and school). Three members of our force were wounded.

We immediately dispatched an ambulance to evacuate the wounded. At around 19:30 hours the ambulance was fired upon with an MF 82 mm grenade launcher from the school in the village. Another soldier was heavily wounded.

Considering what happened on this day: the attack on the barracks, the loss of two innocent civilians and the incidents this evening; we strongly protest and are informing you that we will take appropriate measures to destroy the terrorists anywhere they are to be found and that in the future such provocations will not be tolerated. We will fight back with all available means to protect the dignity of the Army and the Macedonian people.

Chief of Staff of General Headquarters General Pande Petrovski

* * *

April 12

General Pande

Congratulations on a great victory by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Macedonia.

A demonstration of pride and professionalism in protecting the sovereignty of the Republic.

Richard Griffith Major General MPRI Chief USA

After the Tetovo operation, Griffith was among the first to personally come to General Headquarters to congratulate me on our success.

* * *