UNMIK Police car set alight in Mitrovica

What seemed to be a fragile region over the last month, now definitely proves to be the epicenter, where future calamities can emanate from. If there is someone, who deserves the standing ovation this time round concerning last Monday’s riots that is undoubtedly Serbia. Cunning, strategic and tactical approach associated with the riots of Monday seems to be the farewell ‘speech’ of the Tadic-Kostunica coalition, which by all means will continue to be the Serbian policy towards Kosovo.  

In terms of strategy Serbia has beaten up the Kosovo government, UNMIK, and KFOR who have been collectively caught up unprepared and proved to be naïve to Serbia’s provocations, especially last Monday morning. The problem lies within the new post-independence ‘troika’ (Kosovo government, UNMIK and KFOR) itself. A clear, well-organized, well-thought and feasible strategy is required in order to coordinate the actions between the three.  It is very evident that the Kosovo government in its own has absolutely no power in northern Kosovo to install the rule of law and bring things to normal. Especially, this is not likely to happen when the Kosovar Serbs perceive the Kosovo government as an illegitimate, artificial or even non-existent institution, but one should not undermine the role of Kosovo government in persuading Kosovar Albanians living in the north to remain in their villages.

On the other hand, UNMIK should play on the 1244 UN resolution card, thus, calling Kosovar Serbs for cooperation and asking Serb leaders not to interfere with the developments in Kosovo. Finally, the most important role in this ‘troika’ is the control of the borders with Serbia for the sake of leaving Kosovo’s territorial integrity intact. KFOR has been and should continue to be engaged in ensuring that borders are strictly under control. However, there have been speculations that Monday’s riots involved protesters coming from Serbia. It is very evident that any arrival from Serbia in the north of Kosovo is likely to destabilize the region. Recognizing that there is an inclination towards further riots in the future, a consolidation of a plan is crucial in preventing things that could harm the toddler state of Kosovo.

The odds are that the 11th of May, the new ‘monthly’ Serbian election, could bring a new set of clashes between the Kosovar Serbs and the KFOR peacekeepers. UNMIK must return and resume its mission in the North, whereas it remains to see how powerful and successful the Kosovo government will be when challenging itself to stop the Serbian elections in a de facto Serb enclave.   

By Kreshnik Hoxha, London, United Kingdom 

Comments (7)

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Tringa said:

... Da Kloort, Give yourself a break, because sooner or later your Serbian Propaganda will come out - oh wait it already did. Illyirnas are ancestors of Albanians if you do not believe any NON-SLAVIC literature than you are ignorant. First of all go read Noel Malcolm, Wesley clarke, even Patrick Moore. All being NEUTRAL sources and people which have no affiliation with either Serbia or Kosova. So all they can do is tell the truth and they are all experts in the balkans. There is many more I just names those three. Also, if that is not enough for you (which I know it is not because you won't even consider reading them since they are not Slavs) than go check out UNDP (United Nations Developement Fund) in those documents it states Albanians are ancestors of Illyrians based on proof, artifacts found within Kosova, Macedonia and Albania. All the countries within the United Nations signed the documents for release therfore proving anything you are saying totally wrong. In fact Kosova was called Dardania, before serbs occupied it in 6AD, as they migrated from the Carpathian Mountains. Albanians (Illyrians) along with Greeks were the oldest civilizations in the Balkans or as it should be referd to as in (illyria). I want to inform you that it is easy to talk without proof. Propaganda can only go so far.

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March 22, 2008
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Da kloot said:

	... TRinga, The Illyrian are NOT the ancestors off the albanians, the Illyrian where wiped out by the Romans long before Albanians existed, albanians have turks and other ancestors. And if we wanna talk about that, then the Greek & Macedonians are the rightfull owners because they were there even before the Illyrian's Stop claiming something that every serious historian will tell you is an lie.
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March 19, 2008
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Jeff H said:

... What the hell is wrong with Serbs? Why the need to govern a region that is 98% NON-Serb against the will of the vast majority of the local people? Is it to protect the rights of a minority of Serbs in Kosovo? hmmm... maybe Hitler had justification for invading lands with German minorities. If the Kosovars are forced to reunite with Serbia it is only logical that Serbia should be forced to reunite with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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March 19, 2008
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Tringa said:

... To Ron! Ron, please for your own sake read some history. Kosova was never LEGALLY part of Serbia. Serbians came to the Balkans in 6AD from the Carpathian Mountains and occupied Albanian (Illyrian) land. Illyrians (ancestors of Albanians) were already there where the oldest Illyrian could be traced as far back as 1000BC. As far as 1244 goes, that resolution was implamented when Yugolslavia was in place, which as you should know, Yugoslavia does not exist anymore therfore - resolution 1244 is non-existant to Serbia. As for Kosova's decleration of independence going against international law? - I can assure you that Ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosova also goes against international law and any Human Rights laws for that matter. - Milosevic stripping Kosova of its atonomy is also a violation of International law. There is no excuses, Kosova's situation is unique and the fact that it was always Albanian could not be ignored in history books - except for maybe in Serbia.

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March 19, 2008
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Qeni said:

	... The Serbs in Kosovo must not be allowed to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
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March 19, 2008
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Zoran S said:

... You got what you want so welcome to the " new reality" … now is your turn to show how you are going to deal with protestors and please minority as you were just decade ago … hopefully you have learned lesson from Milosevic and you are not going to make same mistakes what he did. Americans are not there because they like you and not going to be there forever. You need to earn your sovereignty and prove you deserve it. It’s not easy but it is possible … make you enemy to be your friend … maybe some kind of Serbia, Albania, Macedonia with Kosovo as part of Balkan confederation can be solution before EU. Wish you luck and wisdom Regards Zoran S.

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March 19, 2008
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Ron said:

	... The UN should start to implement 1244: Kosovo as part of Serbia. The West is breaching 1244. This must be stopped. Kosovo is a Serbian province.
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March 19, 2008
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