Troops who had been sent to murder Slovenians, Croatians, Bosnians and Kosovars seeking liberation from Milosevic's rule stayed in their barracks Thursday, as their fellow Serbs sought the same liberty. The man who had commanded all of these instruments of power so brutally remained as enigmatic and secretive in defeat as he had in power. Rumors are circulating that Milosevic has retreated to fortified barracks near the Romanian border. But it is still unclear whether Milosevic and his family have left the country, and which country might have accepted them. Western governments' careful statements on the matter suggested that a possible exit strategy for Milosevic may have been agreed in secret.
Details are sure to emerge over the coming days.
But opposition leader Zoran Djindjic warned early Friday morning that Milosevic was in his fortified barracks near Bor, close to the Serbian border with Romania and Bulgaria. That would be very bad if he pushed people further into conflicts. Despite the uncertainty of Milosevic's whereabouts or plans, Serbs rejoiced with street celebrations late into the night. Convinced they had toppled him, they reveled in the newly wrested control of their nation's destiny. A lifetime's worth of Communism, propaganda, war and repression has made many deeply cynical about their ability to influence important political events in their country.