Inner Problems Facing Kosovo: Ibid. Ibid
Inner Problems Facing Kosovo: Ibid. Ibid
Inner Problems Facing Kosovo: Ibid. Ibid
>>When discussing the inner problems the main issue concerning Kosovo in
its sovereignty and its functioning as a compact state, here the northern
part with its Serbian parallel structures are creating de facto state within a
state with no link to the central administration in Prishtina but rather
turning to Belgrade for instructions shows the inability of Kosovo in
functioning as an integral state.1
1
Ibid.
2
Ibid.
>>Separating Kosovo in ethnic lines is not a new proposal. Even though not
official- publicly articulated policy partition was idea which started from
Dobrica Cosic, the former Yugoslav President and well known Serbian
writer. He argued that if Kosovo question could not be solved the partition
would be a solution. In his recent book “Kosovo” in 2004 “Kosovo”. 3
Milosevic ,Djindjic, Koshtunica have worked actively towards partition.
Serbian President Boris Tadic has already stated that if all other possibilities
failed, Serbia would consider partitioning Kosovo.4
One of the comparisons that are mad is also one of the most notorious of
these agreements was the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which ended the Greek-
Turkish war in Asia Minor. At Lausanne, the Greek and Turkish
governments and the Great Powers stated as the very first article of the
treaty the principle of preventive exchange of population:
“As from the 1st May, 1923, there shall take place a compulsory exchange of
Turkish nationals of the Greek Orthodox religion established in Turkish
territory, and of Greek nationals of the Muslim religion established in Greek
territory.”24
The result was the forced displacement of almost 1.5 million people,
destroying communities that had existed since ancient times. While many
had already been displaced by conflict, there were still over 200,000 Greeks
in Anatolia and more than 354,000 Turks in Greece.
Many of these were “prosperous and satisfied, feeling secure and having no
desire to abandon their homes.” 25 As the Greek prime minister noted at the
time, “both the Greek and the Turkish population involved… are protesting
against this procedure… and display their dissatisfaction by all the means
at their disposal.”26 With the principal of territorial separation accepted at
the international level, however, there was nowhere to appeal, and the
expulsions continued to their bitter conclusion.5
???>>For Serbia partition would mean some compensation for the already
lost Kosovo. Based on its works for ethnic division in Kosovo supporting
parallel institutions providing all sorts of assistance from construction to
3
Tadic Hints at Kosovo Partition, B92 30September 2008 (B92 Serbia’s broadcaster).
4
Dy anet e kunderta te decentralizimt (Two opposing sides of decentralization) Radio Free
Europe evropaelire.org 8 September 2010.
5
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UNTC/UNPAN016678.pdf
energy assistance it can be concluded that this is Serbia’s aim. 6 For the
Kosova Albanians this would mean losing around 17 percent of territory
and the main industrial mining region which would affect its economy
seeking it revival partly through its natural resources the loss of the water
resources on the Ibar and Gazivoda lake which lies within Zubin Potok
region, and the more mineral wealth and industrial potential of Trepca
around Mitrovica and Zvecan. >>Losing Trepca would deprive the already
rich province from a source of revenue and employment and reduce the
viability of independent Kosovo. Loss of Trepca would also create a
permanent grievance among the Kosovo Albanians therefore becoming a
focal point for future conflict.7
The option of territorial exchange North of Kosovo for South of Serbia is one
option, however, knowing the region the population exchange can lead to
possible violence in the whole region based on these facts partitioning
cannot be supported as possible solution. The authority over the north
Mitrovica needs to be established with the removal of parallel structures and
replacawed by Kosovo institutions.9
Serbia has two ethnic minorities which could cause inner problems in their
request for greater autonomy such as Muslim minority of Sanxhak and
Vojvodina Hungarian minorities. For the international community the
ethnically divided Kosovo would create a precedent with regional
implications. This will be Europe’s nightmare scenario as instead of
integrating of Western Balkans within European Union it would have to face
unrest in the region which could easily spread into other parts of Europe
and may even impact other minority issues worldwide. 10
6
National Crisis Group No good Alternative to Ahtisaari plan Europe Report Nr 182 14
May 2007.
7
Kyla Burke Decentralization and Human Security in Kosovo Master thesis 2005 LSE library.
8
National Crisis Group No good Alternative to Ahtisaari plan Europe Report Nr 182 14
May 2007.
9
Ibid.
10
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Forgotten World:
http://www.helsinki.org.yu/doc/2nd%20and%203rd%20missions%20to%20Serb
%20enclaves%20in%20Kosovo%20report.doc . Kosovo Lives: A mixed Village 2008 & BBC
NEWS Kosovo lives: A mixed village http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7526184.stm
Firstly the possibility of reconciliation even-though difficult to reach in a
short term it is not an impossible task. With decentralisation process
Serbian minority gained minority rights in Europe. Nevertheless, the
situation on the ground is far from multiethnic and is still divided along the
ethnic line, thus creating problems for both Kosovo Serbs and Albanians.
The freedom of movement even-though is often proclaimed to have been
reached it is still far from reality. Serbia is also making the reconciliation
process harder by intimidating the Kosovo Serbs not to join the Kosovo
governmental institutions. The reconciliation in the south can be seen when
passing through Serb enclaves, in the case of foreigner they won’t be able to
notice that Serbs live there, if not told. In the Kosova –Serbian border Close
to Preshevo Valey they are Albanian houses mixed together living in
coexistence.11
11
UNDP Early Warning Report 26 September 2009 located in UNDP Early Warning Report
for Kosovo webpage.