While no major recurrence of violence has taken place, the situation in the north remains tense. On May 11, Serbia organized and held national and municipal elections in Serb-majority municipalities throughout Kosovo. Kosovo's moved to declare independence after a lengthy process to achieve a negotiated settlement on Kosovo's status failed to reach agreement amongst the parties or international consensus within the U.
Security Council. The United Nations remains neutral with respect to Kosovo's status. Nevertheless, Kosovo's leaders have pledged to implement the provisions of the Ahtisaari plan, presented by the U. Not all of the EU's 27 member states support Kosovo's independence, although a majority are expected eventually to recognize the new state and all agreed to launch the new EU-led missions.
As a consequence, UNSC Resolution remains in force, with the various international missions in co-existence for the time being. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a "reconfigured" U. Most observers recognize that, for the time being, the new situation presents a serious strain in relations with Serbia, especially in the aftermath of February riots in Belgrade, in which violent demonstrators set fire to the U.
At the same time, the European Union has moved to advance Serbia's track toward EU accession, in an effort to bolster support for pro-European political forces in Serbia. They were outraged by Serb security forces' atrocities against ethnic Albanian civilians, and feared that the conflict could drag in other countries and destabilize the region.
Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic agreed to withdraw his forces from the province in June , clearing the way for the deployment of U.
The thorny issue of Kosovo's final status also loomed as critical unfinished business, with important ramifications for stability in the entire western Balkan region. After several years, U. In and , U. Since , President Bush and other top U. Policy " section, below. Over the years, U. Proponents of U. They believe instability in the region could produce an environment favorable to organized crime and terrorism and undermine U.
They say the ongoing involvement of the United States is critical to ensuring this stability, because of its resources and unrivaled political credibility in the region. Increasingly, many observers on both sides of the Atlantic emphasize that Europe has a larger stake than the United States in stability in southeastern Europe, and that European nations should lead international efforts in Kosovo. Some critics of U. Reflecting international focus on the global anti-terrorism campaign and other priorities, there has appeared a strong interest in "finishing the job," including an eventual "exit strategy" for the international civil and military administration of Kosovo.
Although the war in Kosovo had deep historical roots, its immediate causes can be found in the decision of Milosevic regime in Serbia to eliminate the autonomy of its Kosovo province in The regime committed widespread human rights abuses in the following decade, at first meeting only non-violent resistance from the province's ethnic Albanian majority.
The Milosevic regime responded with increasingly violent and indiscriminate repression. From February until March , conflict between the KLA and Serb forces as well as armed Serb attacks on ethnic Albanian civilians drove more than , people from their homes and killed more than 2, people.
Ethnic Composition : Smaller groups include Muslims, Roma, Montenegrins, Turks, and others census. The United States and other Western countries used sanctions and other forms of pressure to try to persuade Milosevic to cease repression and restore autonomy to Kosovo, without success. The increasing deterioration of the situation on the ground led the international Contact Group United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia to agree on January 29, on a draft peace plan for Kosovo.
They invited the two sides to Rambouillet, near Paris, to start peace talks based on the plan on February 6. NATO said it was also studying efforts to curb the flow of arms to the rebels. The draft peace plan called for three-year interim settlement that would provide greater autonomy for Kosovo within Yugoslavia, and the deployment of a NATO-led international military force to help implement the agreement.
On March 18, , the ethnic Albanian delegation to the peace talks signed the plan, but the Yugoslav delegation rejected it. Yugoslav forces moved rapidly to expel most of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians from their homes, many of which were looted and burned. A December State Department report estimated the total number of refugees and displaced persons at over 1. The report said that Yugoslav forces killed about 10, ethnic Albanians, and abused, tortured and raped others.
It called for the withdrawal of all Yugoslav forces from Kosovo; the deployment of an international peacekeeping force with NATO at its core; and international administration of Kosovo until elected interim institutions are set up, under which Kosovo will enjoy wide-ranging autonomy within Yugoslavia.
Negotiations would be eventually opened on Kosovo's final status. On June 10, the U. The Yugoslav pullout was completed on schedule on June At the same time, more than , ethnic Serbs and other minorities living in Kosovo left the province, according to the U. High Commissioner for Refugees. International officials estimate the number of Serbs living in Kosovo at about , Serbs in the northern part of the province are concentrated in or near the divided town of Mitrovica.
The rest are scattered in isolated enclaves in other parts of the province, protected by KFOR troops. A key reason for the departures is violence and intimidation by ethnic Albanians, although some departures have been voluntary.
Meanwhile, some 15, so-called "minority returns"—or returns of displaced persons to their homes in which they constitute an ethnic minority—have been reported over the last several years, although even this amount has been offset by other minorities who have since left the province. Kosovo Serbs say that since the pullout of Yugoslav forces, more than 1, were killed and over 1, are missing.
Hundreds of houses of Serb refugees have been looted and burned. After June , Kosovo was primarily administered by the U. According to U. Security Council Resolution , UNMIK was tasked with gradually transferring its administrative responsibilities to democratically elected, interim autonomous government institutions, while retaining an oversight role. In a final stage, UNMIK was to oversee the transfer of authority from the interim autonomous institutions to permanent ones, after Kosovo's final status is determined.
Kosovo had little to no governing experience, especially after it lost autonomy under the rule of Milosevic. Kosovo's dominant political party had long been the Democratic League of Kosova LDK , formerly headed by Ibrahim Rugova, who had led a shadow government during the Milosevic years.
After the war, new parties emerged from the Kosovo Liberation Army. The LDK initially lost some ground to the newer parties but regained dominant support for a while among the Kosovo Albanian population. The PDK won It called for the establishment of a seat legislature, which elects a President and a Prime Minister. Twenty seats were reserved for ethnic minorities, including ten for Serbs, but Serbs were not granted veto power on laws passed by the ethnic Albanian majority in the body.
UNMIK retained oversight or control of policy in many areas, including law enforcement, the judiciary, protecting the rights of communities, monetary and budget policy, customs, state property and enterprises, and external relations. Security Council Resolution KFOR remained in charge of Kosovo's security. The Constitutional Framework did not address the question of Kosovo's final status. The first postwar vote for Kosovo-wide institutions was held in November The moderate LDK won 47 seats in the new legislature.
Four small ethnic Albanian parties won one seat each. The remaining 13 seats were won by parties representing the Bosniak, Turkish and Roma communities. In contrast to their boycott of the local elections, Kosovo Serbs turned out in substantial numbers to vote in the November legislative elections.
A coalition of Serbian parties called Povratak, or Return, won 22 seats. After months of political wrangling, the Assembly chose a President and a government in March One cabinet post was reserved for a Kosovo Serb representative and another for a member of a non-Serb minority group.
The Kosovo Serbs initially refused to join the government, saying they wanted greater representation, but finally agreed to do so in May , after UNMIK agreed to appoint a Kosovo Serb as an advisor on refugee returns.
Kosovo held its second local elections on October Observers attributed the low turnout to disillusionment with the performance of the government and political parties in Kosovo. The LDK confirmed its status as the leading party in Kosovo, but lost ground compared to previous elections. Almost no Serbs voted in the troubled northern town of Mitrovica, where local authorities intimidated potential voters. Among those Serbs who did vote in the elections, the moderate Povratak Return coalition did poorly, while hard-line parties did well.
These results may have reflected continuing Serb dissatisfaction with their situation in Kosovo, and with the failure of Serb moderates to improve it. In March , accusations that local Serbs were responsible for the drowning death of two ethnic Albanian boys near the divided city of Mitrovica erupted into violent demonstrations and attacks on several ethnic Serb enclaves throughout the province.
Large crowds of ethnic Albanians came out in droves and set fire to Serb homes, churches and property in several cities. The two days of violence on March , , constituted the worst flare-up of inter-ethnic violence since the end of the Kosovo war.
According to UNMIK, the two-day period resulted in the death of 19 civilians, injuries to more than persons, including international peacekeepers, and the displacement of over 4, persons, mainly Serbs, from their homes. In addition, about 30 churches and monasteries, houses, and vehicles were destroyed or seriously damaged. Some referred to the attacks as "ethnic cleansing. Kosovo held new parliamentary elections on October 24, On the Albanian side, the results were largely in line with previous votes.
The LDK won The AAK won 8. A new ethnic Albanian party, ORA, led by publisher Veton Surroi, won seven seats, while four other ethnic Albanian parties split five seats. Turnout for the election was Very few Kosovo Serbs voted in the elections, responding to a call by Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to boycott the election in the wake of the March violence.
Two Serbian groups which did participate in the elections received the ten seats reserved for the Serbian community in the legislature, but it was questionable whether they genuinely represented Serbian sentiment in Kosovo.
Ten other seats were set aside for other ethnic communities in Kosovo. The PDK, a key part of the previous government, went into opposition. Haradinaj's nomination was controversial, due to concerns of EU and other international officials that he could be indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for war crimes allegedly committed when he was a rebel leader. On March 8, , Prime Minister Haradinaj resigned, after The Hague tribunal notified him and two of his associates that they had been indicted for crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during the conflict with Serbian forces.
Haradinaj and his co-indictees flew to The Hague to submit to detention. Haradinaj was succeeded as Prime Minister by a political ally, Bajram Kosumi. Haradinaj had won high marks from international officials for his energetic efforts to implement the standards during his short tenure. In June , Haradinaj was provisionally released by the Tribunal in return for his pledge to return to The Hague for his trial. His return to Kosovo may bolster his party's standing, which has suffered in recent years, especially if early elections are held.
In mid, the United Nations conducted a comprehensive review of the situation in Kosovo as part of effort to determine whether to open a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status see section on The Issue of Kosovo's Status , below.
The review, conducted by U. At the same time, the review reported that the economic situation in Kosovo remained bleak and that respect for the rule of law was a serious problem. Prospects were poor for inter-ethnic harmony and the return of significant numbers of displaced minorities.
In March , Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi stepped down after criticism of his performance, even within his own party. The new government pledged to implement standards set by the international community for Kosovo. In preparation for the U. The Kosovo negotiation team did not include minority representation from Kosovo Serbs, who were included with the Serbian side. The Unity Team stuck together despite periodic tensions and inter-party rivalries.
After the death of Rugova, no single Kosovar Albanian leader seemed to command comparably broad popular appeal or stature. In particular, divisions plague the leading LDK party, and some of its members recently broke away to form a new party headed by Nexhat Daci, former speaker of the Kosovo assembly. With expectations high for imminent independence, local and international observers also warned of potential instability and mounting local frustration if the status process were to be seriously thwarted or further delayed.
On both the ethnic Albanian and Serb minority side, the potential has been high for unrest and instability. Groups outside of the Unity Team, including the grass-roots organization "Self-Determination," were opposed to holding further talks on status with Serbia. Some also voiced concern about the re-emergence of armed groups on both sides and their potential to incite violence. Under the terms of the Ahtisaari plan see below , new general and local elections in Kosovo were to be held within nine months of a status settlement.
Over 40 political parties registered under new election rules. Prime Minister Ceku opted out of seeking re-election. The Ora party did not win parliamentary representation.
Kosovo Serb voters and the Kosovo Serb parties largely boycotted the November vote, as directed by Belgrade, although ten seats in parliament are reserved for Kosovo Serb representatives. At the local level, absent incumbent Kosovo Serb parties were defeated in five majority Serb municipalities.
Governance in these areas is expected to be managed through careful coordination with international authorities. Despite some speculation that Thaci would swiftly declare Kosovo's independence in late or early , the new leadership opted for close coordination with the international community as the U. In addition to independence, the Thaci government will be challenged to meet elevated voter expectations on a range of issues, especially pressing economic challenges such as high levels of unemployment and poverty, poor infrastructure, and energy shortages.
In early April, the Kosovo Assembly adopted a new constitution worked out in close coordination with international officials. The new constitution will take effect by mid-June. Another key challenge will be to engage the Kosovo Serb communities in governing institutions and decision-making across multiple levels. Security Council Resolution June 10, has formed the basis of the international role in Kosovo since the end of the war.
The resolution authorized the deployment of an international security presence in Kosovo, led by NATO, under a mission to ensure the withdrawal of Yugoslav armed forces from Kosovo, the demilitarization of the KLA, and the maintenance of the cease-fire. Resolution gave the U. UNMIK's duties included performing basic civil administration of the province; maintaining law and order, including setting up an international police force and creating local police forces; supporting humanitarian aid efforts; facilitating the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes; protecting human rights; supporting the reconstruction effort; preparing the way for elections and the creation of self-government institutions; and facilitating a political process to address Kosovo's final status.
Resolution provided for an interim period of autonomy for Kosovo until negotiations on a political settlement took place. Among other things, it reaffirmed international commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Michael Steiner, a German diplomat with extensive experience in the former Yugoslavia, became the third SRSG in early and completed his term in July He stepped down in May , citing health reasons, although some observers speculated that his resignation was also spurred by perceptions that his credibility, as well as that of UNMIK as a whole, had been damaged by the March riots.
Upon his arrival, he outlined five mission priorities: improving security, prioritizing the standards and accelerating their implementation, transferring more authority to the PISG, protecting minorities, and improving the economy. UNMIK initially had a four-pillar structure divided into humanitarian aid, civil administration, democratic institution-building, and reconstruction.
UNMIK phased out the humanitarian aid pillar in mid and added a police and justice pillar in The United Nations has led the police and justice pillar as well as the one for civil administration; the Organization for Security and Cooperation had led the institution-building pillar; and the European Union the reconstruction pillar.
In April , then UNMIK chief Steiner offered a "vision on how to finish our job," or an "exit strategy" for the international mission. He outlined a "standards before status" approach that included a series of benchmarks for Kosovo's institutions and society that should be achieved before addressing Kosovo's final status.
The benchmarks included the following:. The international community endorsed the "standards before status" approach. However, even as UNMIK downsized and transferred a greater number of administrative competencies to Kosovo's self-governing institutions, it became clear to most observers that UNMIK's ability to "finish the job" would ultimately depend on a resolution to the question of Kosovo's final status.
The standards before status approach gained new impetus in late with the Contact Group initiative, with U. By the end of , the total number of refugees and displaced persons totaled more than 1. After 78 days of bombing, Milosevic surrendered. Many ethnic Albanians returned to their homes following Milosevic's surrender.
On June 10, , the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution , which formed the basis for the constitutional developments in Kosovo. The UNMIK was responsible for gradually transferring its administrative responsibilities to democratically elected, interim autonomous government institutions.
It then was tasked with ensuring that the interim autonomous institutions transfer power to a permanent government once Kosovo's final status was determined.
Up to this point, Kosovo had little governing experience, especially after Milosevic eliminated its autonomy. The Framework called for a seat legislature, which would elect a president and a prime minister.
Of the seats, twenty were reserved for ethnic minorities, including ten for Serbs. However, the Serbs did not have the power to veto laws passed by the ethnic Albanian majority.
During this provisional period, the UNMIK still maintained oversight authority over law enforcement, the judiciary, protection of rights, monetary policy, customs, state-run enterprises, and foreign relations.
The first elections after the war took place in November Serbian parties won 22 seats. During the second elections in October , the LDK confirmed its status as the leading party.
In March , violent demonstrations erupted in Kosovo, the worst since the end of the Kosovo war in Kosovo Serbs were targeted in the violence, which resulted in 19 civilian deaths, over injured persons, and over 4, displaced Serbs.
The UN estimates that tens of thousands participated in the two-day ethnic violence. Kosovo's third set of elections took place on October 24, It was the first time that Kosovo's own Central Election Commission administered elections in the country.
Although the ethnic Albanian turnout was roughly equal to the previous elections, very few Serbs voted as a result of the March violence. Ahtisaari held seventeen rounds of negotiations between Kosovar and Serbian officials in Vienna over a period of fourteen months.
Ahtisaari and his team also made twenty-six expert missions to both capitals. The plan represented a compromise between both sides. It contained broad provisions for Kosovo autonomy, including the ability to enter into international agreements and become a member in international organizations. However, the report also constrained Kosovo's sovereignty by allowing for international civilian and military missions and enforcing power-sharing arrangements with minority groups.
Russia, a Serbian ally, refused to endorse the proposal because of a lack of Serbian agreement. However, the parties were not able to reach an agreement on the final status of Kosovo. Despite the stalemate within the Contact Group, Kosovo's authorities decided to declare independence in early as part of a process closely coordinated with the international community. Led by an avowed pacifist, Ibrahim Rugova , Kosovar Albanians created a parallel society through civil resistance.
While the regime did not forcibly block the growing separatism, in fact, ethnic intimidation, arrest, discrimination, and occasional violence became elements of daily life in Kosovo. The Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian civil war, struck a significant blow to the Albanian civil resistance movement in Kosovo, which had hoped that the international community would take up the Albanian cause.
Dayton made no arrangements for Kosovo, and many among the Albanian population began to discuss the need for more active resistance. Belgrade branded the KLA domestic terrorists. The quiet period of separatism transformed quickly into open conflict.
0コメント