But considerable organization by the guerrillas is evident in cities as far away as Struga, several hours' drive to the south. Residents there have reported finding leaflets placed by the guerrillas beneath their doors, demanding the enlistment of ethnic Albanian men. A handful of the uniformed fighters encountered today said they had left jobs in Western Europe within the past few months to come to their home villages in Macedonia and join the fighting. This is something they have to do to get rid of the chains of others. Leading ethnic Albanian politicians in the capital Skopje, such as Arben Xhaferi of the Democratic Albanian Party, which is a member of the ruling government coalition, have said they share these frustrations but deplore the guerrillas' resort to violence.
Unemployment is high in villages now controlled by the guerrillas.
But Macedonia is in the midst of a difficult transition from communism, and Slavs are also experiencing growing unemployment. Bildt said that some of the guerrillas had come to Macedonia from Kosovo, which like western Macedonia is populated mostly by Albanians. He called NATO efforts to cordon off the border inadequate. A Macedonian army helicopter carrying 20 policemen near fighting around Tetovo crashed today, killing its pilot and injuring most of the other passengers. Officials denied it had been shot down, saying it had struck a broadcasting antenna by accident.