Kosovo proclaims Independence amidst Serbian furore
February 17th, 2008 by I am insecure -do not read what I sayHeadline News. History is being written today as Kosovo proclaims its independence from Serbia amidst conflicting world reactions.
On the one hand, Serbia itself, strongly supported by Russia, rejects independence for Kosovo, the argument being that there is no UN Security Council approval for the move and that the parties should continue to negotiate until an argument is reached.
On the other hand, the US and many European Union countries accept that Kosovo should no longer be part of Serbia. The EU is sending a major law and order mission, known as the Eulex, to Kosovo, made up of about 2,000 police and justice officials, tasked with helping to prevent human rights abuses and ensure that Kosovo’s fragile institutions are free from political interference.
While celebrations start in Prishtina and posters are stuck on buildings thanking the US, UK and EU for supporting the independence, a thousand Serb demonstrators protest in Belgrade against loss of territory they consider their heartland.
Background: Until today, Kosovo was a province of Serbia, which in turn used to be part of Yugoslavia before it split apart in the 1990’s. Generally, Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanian population seeks independence, while its minority Serb population wants to stay with Serbia. It was that clash which was at the centre of then-Yugoslavia’s crackdown in 1999. Kosovo has been under UN control since NATO acted after Serbian forces repressed an uprising of ethnic Albanians with a brutal campaign that spawned reports of ethnic cleansing and an exodus of tens of thousands of refugees.
For full coverage, please refer to: CNN, BBC
Your views please:
- Should Kosovo’s independence be recognised or should negotiations between Serbs and Albanians continue?
- Is the independence real or symbolic? Kosovo will now rely on 16,000 NATO soldiers for its defence, apart from the Eulex team.
- With an official unemployment rate of 41% and unreliability of basic amenities in Prishtina itself, is independence the right move?
- What should be the extent of involvement of the EU, if at all, in helping the newly independent Kosovo achieve stability?
Toot toot, honk honk, finally after many years of indecision the people of Kosovo get the chance to break free and carve their own destiny. I wish them well and hope they become of beacon of democracy and peaceful co-existence, and an inspiration to other small countries that independence within the EU is worth working towards. Good luck to them today.
We wish them well Carl, but it will not be as easy as we think. There is no way Serbia and Russia will sit quiet on this. I predict further bloodshed ahead. Already there are signs of troubles, with grenades being thrown at the UN court building in Kosovo. In Belgrade, rocks were thrown at the US embassy and police had to fend off rioters.
What these damned Kosovians need is a proper Head of State, a thorough blue blooded Royal.
I find this to be a seminal moment in the future of (strained) East West relations and also deciding if the UN is impotent or actually has any mandate in the world today.
To have a country that we perhaps have issues with, not backed by the UN and then a popular decision in the West backed by the West, in contradiction to the UN, is absolutely wrong. There are two sides to the story, mostly we only hear one.
More should be done to work this out with Russia before sending in troops (would they be needed if Russia agreed?), we should not be giving credence to this idea and generally backing the Kosovans, at least not yet, more diplomacy is needed.
I’m not expressing any opinion on the issue of independence merely I think we are making a grave mistake in sending troops, backing the independence and basically ignoring Russia. How are we to expect Russia to ever work with us on global warming, Iran, gas supplies or any other issue when we have the missile defence shield issue, the tit for tat issue on diplomat expulsions from the Litvenenko issue and many other diplomatic and political issues if we ride roughshod over Russian feelings and ignore the UN?
This is a very grave mistake in my opinion, more time discussing and working it out would not harm the people as the UN has a major force their already.
Yet again we are being arrogant, we think we are 100% right and they are 100% wrong when there is much to be worked out on both sides.
Good inferences Gareth, on the basis of the info in the post.
Clarification: When the UN took control in 1999, they passed a resolution ordering Serbia to withdraw Kosovo and called for a “POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE KOSOVO CRISIS”. They did not however specify what the solution should be. This is the loophole that Serbia is capitalising on today to claim that the UN has not approved the move.
The EU for its part argues that “acting to implement the final status outcome in such a situation is more compatible with the UN resolution than continuing to work to block any outcome in a situation where everyone agrees that the status quo is unsustainable”. As far as I understand, the UN will be withdrawing from Kosovo and “handing over” to the EU, thereby indicating tacit agreement to the move.
It is debatable whether the Serbs on the other hand would ever accept Kosovo’s independence. Negotiations have been going on for an amount of time now to no avail. Serbia considers Kosovo to be the birthplace of the Serbian nation. Would time change their position? I doubt.
The whole situation is ripe with strife. The Serb Foreign Minister has stated already that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo’s independence. Days before the independence proclamation he was quoted as saying that if Kosovo declares independence, Serbia will undertake all diplomatic, political and economic measures designed to impede and reverse what they consider a direct and unprovoked attack on their sovereignty.
Russia for their part has accused Europe of double-standards, pointing to other cases like the Basque region in France where the EU does not support independence.
Indeed, both Serbia and Russia have threatened severe strains on political and diplomatic ties with Europe. I harbour the same concerns as you express in terms of the impact the Kosovo-Serb situation will have on other matters where collaboration with Russia is critical.
Well played Bridget, you post well when not ‘ha’ing.
Glad you raised this one as it’ll be with us for a long time - unfortunately.
Thanks Gareth
It’s not right it’s not Aunty Bridget. This is right clever post what you’ve put up it is, an only 3 people ave bothered to respond, well I’d lke to put my bit in see.
Them people in Kosovo want their independence a bit like Rod Stewart an Sean Connery think the Scots should ave a separate parliament and be like different from the English. Well I think they are see, cos they wear skirts up in Scotland the blokes do, an I’m all in favour of that, but I reckon they do it to try an embarrass the average English bloke into allowing them to rule themselves. It’s true!
Is that why the Ruskies don’t like the Kosovan men wearing ladies clothes? Only David reckons this reason they want them out of the Soviet Union he does.
Homophobic them Ruskies see, well in public they are.
Thanks for the support EJ!
Wasn’t expecting a massive response to a post like this.
Would be good to read Angry, David and Gary though.
Hey BJ, we say let Kosovo be, as Carl said - carve their own destiny!! They should be free and let them get on with it we say….
Free wild flowers!
Kosovo is unique in that it has been fighting for this for quite a while, reminds a little of East Temore…
But they will face huge oposition from Russia and Serbia in their own right…. I hope the indepence stand but I cant see Russia allow it… and unfortunatly it is probably going to get nasty with or with out the Troops…..
Negotiations are fine but when you arent getting where what do you do?
It seems the more pushed for this the further away it was taken… and perhaps this is a move which will show Russia they are serious… it would be nice to think they will be left alone but like China with Taiwan it wont happen …..
Good luck to the people of Kosovo they deserve their freedom as does most people…. but I think their going to need as much luck as they can get …
AC
I’m just fearing another war from Serbia. That was what happened in this region when Yugoslavia broke up which foiled Serbia’s plan of a Greater Serbia.
Croatia was hinted to accept Kosovo’s independence if they wish to get into the EU’s big family.
Whoever is right or wrong.. I’m not the judge. This is an extremely delicate issues that goes back decades (Serbians freed Kosovo from the Ottoman Turks).
Indeed Sherxr, there is much history there and the issue is very sensitive. So far Serbia has said they would not use force against Kosovo.
However Putin has been quoted as saying that they have “a ready-made plan” and that they “know what (they) are going to do”. Ominous.
Where are you from if I may ask?
Unbelievable
Is everyone forgetting that there were a series of events 94 years ago that dragged us into the first world war (which led inexorably to the second world war but for different reasons).
I seem to recall a guy assassinated the Austro/Hungarian heir and the Austrians basically declared war on Serbia after a short interlude for ‘diplomacy’.
The Austrians underestimated the strength of the bond between Russia and Serbia and so next thing we know Russia is mobilising troops, followed by Germany, France, Britain (and her colonies) and later on Japan and America. Nobody foresaw this and lots of people made decisions without thought. Millions died.
Clearly this is happening again to a degrree. We have the UK, Germany, France, etc on one side and Russia, Serbia, Spain, Greece, Romaina, etc on the other.
When will we learn from our history and perhaps not dive in with rash ‘diplomacy’ and deployment of troops? Why are we so quick to be so self righteous?
There is no UN approval, no mandate and certainly no need. Keep the peace keepers there and work out a solution that will keep Russia and Serbia happy. Maybe high degree of autonomy for Kosovo but still recognised within Serbia, who knows, but not this, god no.
I can’t believe nobody is seeing this through the learned eyes of history, this was one of the defining moments of mankind - a world war - yet nobody seems to be giving it any thought, simple ‘yeah go Kosovo woo woo woo’ attitudes will really annoy the Serbs & Russians and create a state of tension that won’t diminish. Remember these guys have generational memories as the Balkan wars of the 90’s proved. What are we storing up for our children? How will we get Russia to help on Iran/North Korea and gas supplies? This is a grave mistake and needs much more time and energy put into it.
I am not forgetting the deeds of the past and the events which lead to WW1 the Balkans have been a hot spot for at least 100 years since the initial invasion…
And still have vivid memories of the War which not long ended…
But it is does not make it right to allow one country to be held basically for ransom by the rest of the world to achieve the ends required does it…
The tension which is so visible would be there regardless, this does however I agree agitate the situation… The hope is that by showing a unified front with this declaration the rest of the world may see it for what it is and that is a fight for freedom and not some bargaining chip as it has been at present..
Perhaps if UN had the power which they were designed to have the whole situation may have been avoided. the peace keepers will need to remain regardless of the out come and yes perhaps if it were to become an autonomus state this would have been better, but this is not the case and clearly the events where going to happen… the next step will be up to Serbia, Russia and Kosovo and yes I agree it will erupt, but if history is to be the teacher here then maybe the events which pulled us into a world war will be avoided and diplomacy will win through..
We can only hope.. and like I said I wish them luck because they are going to need it….
you know what they say WW4 will be fought sticks and stone
What unified front? Even in the West we are not united.
The UN’s ‘powers’ are being eroded by us, the West as there is no mandate.
The events of 94 years ago are far more complex than I wrote earlier and I could fill the site with the why’s and wherefore’s. The alliances and mind games prevelent then are not around but we now have other, different complex issues - who will foresee these? Nobody.
We should not be pissing off Russia with this on top of (unnecessary) missile defence shield, Litvenenko, treatment of oligarchs, Iran, etc, etc.
It is not a fight for freedom, the area of Kosovo is and was always part of Serbia historically (check oiut 1914 maps) the Serbs see it as the Christian heartland (rightly or wrongly).
UN peacekeepers are there already so there is no need for rash decisions.
This is just a disaster waiting to happen, I hope the smart alecs are pleased when it all goes off. They need to buy a good dictionary and look up ‘diplomacy’.
Not had chance to fully research the subject but initial thoughts are that it’s not a good move.
Kosovo until the first world war had been ‘Serbian’ for hundreds of years and it was only a huge influx of Albanians around that time that made it their stronghold. It reminds me of the formation of Isreal a few years later. I have a Serbian friend who says Kosovo is Serbian and always has been - while he’s rational he said ‘every Serbian has more arms and ammunition than the UN - there’ll be trouble’ Other comments he made included ‘Kosovo is bankrupt - how will they survive?’ - cue more aid from the UK. ‘They are already removing crosses from churches’ - apparently Kosovo is a region of historic /cultural importance. And finally ‘Serbia has said they will support the Basques and the Northern Irish in their quest for independence - a big can of worms
History should certainly have taught us caution Gareth. However, the furthest Serbia would ever go no matter the amount of negotiations is to grant autonomy but not independence, and Kosovo would not settle for anything less than independence.
Pls see my reply to your first comment re: UN. Approval seems tacit from the UN based on the resolution they passed in 1999 when they took control of Kosovo.
Spain, Greece and Romania, while not favouring the move, have not opposed the EU officially. Yet.
The state of tension that you rightly refer to will only deepen in the following weeks. There will be a price to pay in the future for the EU’s bold move today.
It seems to me that only GIC has got to grips with the potential danger, and therefore reality, of this situation.
It is all very noble to declare self determination for everyone, but it is equally naive to expect it to work in reality. Ultimately it leads to anarchy if followed through to extreme levels, therefore there comes a point when the good of the greater community outweighs that of the individual.
Control, or law, is required to ensure that anarchy does not ensue in a culture of self determination. On a global level we have the UN to set those laws, but today Kosovo’s independence is illegal according to the UN (loophole or not BJ).
In the current climate of international relations between Russia and the West, with major European powers also objecting, make no mistake this is a dangerous situation.
Thanks for the input David.
My concern here is to show both sides of the story, both parties’ arguments/ opinions and the facts as far as I know them, so as to give a balanced perspective to readers and encourage debate.
Truth be told, my reasonable side knows it is a dangerous move and agrees to a large extent with what you say, even as my emotional side rejoiced yesterday.
I had the opportunity to discover Kosovo in the context of work post-1999. While I expected a desolate place and a withdrawn people, I was touched by the warmth and hospitality of the Kosovars. I have made friends amongst them and I am not indifferent to their plight. Hence the tribute with this post.
Well, whatever the outcome will be, it is happening…. So let’s see how it pans out…
I hope Russia smash them all over the little upstarts
Either way we should keep clear and let them all sort it themselves until last man standing.
My moneys on Putin by a mile.
We should steer clear though and reclaim India again - maybe then we can take over call centres.
Hear hear Urban Pagan.
Once them bloody Ruskies have had another war in the Balkans, they will be weakened enough to enable a Monarchist coup, rightfully placing the Royal families back in power.
As to India, I’ve always said we left those buggers to their own devices too soon, there’s plenty more gold and jewels to be had there, we should get back in.
PREPARE YOUR FLAGS FOR TAKE-OVER!
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!