The Future of Multi-Ethnicity on Kosovo
The Future of Multi-Ethnicity on Kosovo

Author(s): Livia Plaks
Subject(s): Security and defense, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: PER Project on Ethnic Relations
Keywords: multiethnic Kosovo; Serbs and Albanians; exclaves; North Kosovo;
Summary/Abstract: An earthquake in the Balkans sent shockwaves through the entire world. The earthquake was the violence emanating from the 1999 conflict between Serbia and its southern province of Kosovo. Some say the violence was due to the multiyear discrimination and eventual efforts at ethnic cleansing of the Albanians by the Serbian government of Milosevic. Others have said that the violence started with the appearance and activities of the then shadow Kosovo Liberation Army. In any case, the international community eventually got involved and Serbia and Montenegro (as well as Serbia’s southern province of Kosovo) received more than a month of intensive bombing by NATO forces against military targets (with countless civilian casualties as well). A decade has passed since those events and the reality on the ground looks different. Kosovo has now been recognized by over 50 countries as a new state and is trying to enter the path of belonging to the Euro-Atlantic structures. However, there is still a serious international presence on the ground which is mostly meant to protect and encourage the Serbian community to be part of Kosovo’s life even if not recognizing its current status. Relations between Belgrade and Pristina are at best frozen if not downright hostile. The greatest challenge for all inside Kosovo as well as the international community is how to deal with the relations between Kosovo institutions and the Serbian community.

• Details
• Contents