Independence Vote Celebrated in Macedonia

The Yugoslav federation suffered another blow Monday when early returns showed that 74% of the voters in the republic of Macedonia supported declaring independence.

Even before the first returns were released from Sunday’s referendum, thousands of Macedonians partied in the streets to celebrate leaving the union.

But Macedonia’s leaders stressed that they will try to work out new ties with Yugoslavia as part of a loose confederation of sovereign states, rather than the complete independence sought by Croatia and Slovenia.

In Belgrade, federal Prime Minister Ante Markovic announced a Cabinet reshuffle. But with the six feuding Yugoslav republics paying little heed to the federal government, the move is not likely to affect the crisis.

Meanwhile, in a potentially dangerous escalation of tension, Yugoslav troops clashed with soldiers from Albania along their mountainous border. Four Albanian soldiers and one civilian were killed, Belgrade Radio said. No Yugoslav casualties were reported.

The report said the fighting began when a group of Albanians tried to cross into Yugoslavia near Dragas, a village 180 miles south of Belgrade.

Intense fighting continued in Croatia between the republic’s militiamen and Serb rebels. Croatia said that 58 Croats have died since a cease-fire began a week ago.

Croatia’s Interior Ministry ordered a curfew from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. in Osijek, Karlovac and Zadar, which were under threat from Serb rebels and the Yugoslav army.

The worst fighting in Croatia was reported in the towns of Kostajnica near Bosnia-Herzegovina and Pakrac in the ethnically mixed Slavonia region.

Most of Kostajnica, the last major Croat stronghold in the republic’s central Banija region, was controlled by ethnic Serbs, and the estimated 1,000 Croat defenders appeared to be surrounded, the Tanjug news agency reported.

Several hundred Croat militiamen also were reported surrounded at Pakrac after being ambushed on Sunday by Serbs.

Fighting continued at Okucani, along the Belgrade-Zagreb highway linking Europe and the Middle East. Serb rebels took over a stretch of the road last Wednesday, virtually cutting Croatia in half. There was no word Monday on who was in control.

In Osijek, the eastern region’s capital, the army accused Croatian forces of attacking its barracks with mortars despite the presence in the town of five European Community observers who are monitoring the EC-brokered cease-fire.

EC special envoy Henri Wijnaendts is shuttling around the war zones to try to persuade all sides in the conflict to obey the cease-fire and guarantee the safety of EC monitors.

Chaos Deepens

1) Croatian militiamen and Serbian rebels battle in Kostajnica and Pakrac.

2) Yugoslav federal troops and Albanian troops clash near Dragas village; five killed.

3) Referendum shows most Macedonians want independence.

Macedonia at a Glance

Capital: Skopje

Size: 9,928 square miles

Population: 2.1 million

Ethnic groups: Mostly Macedonian, with Albanian and Turkish minorities

Economy: Yugoslavia’s poorest republic. Unemployment about 25%. Many enterprises face bankruptcy.

Source: Times Wire Services