Kosovo
Kosova, also know as Kosovo is the disputed region between Kosova's Albanian majority and Serbia. Once an independent federal unit of Yugoslavia, it has been stripped away of its autonomy by the Serbian government. Serbian authorities have dismissed Albanians from state-owned enterprises and have suspended Kosovo's legal parliament and government. Presently there is a systematic oppression of the Albanian population in Kosovo by the Serbian government, violation of the basic rights of Albanians occurs frequently.
Kosovo is viewed by the Serbians as the birthplace of their history, culture and religion, but 90% of the province's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian, most of who demand independence. It is one thing to be Ethnic Albanian and a communist in Kosovo in old Yugoslavia, but when the Communist Party collapsed and the Serbian nationalists took power, ethnic Albanians, lacking the protection party merabership once provided, were relegated to the status of a despised minority within Serbia
The Albanians of Kosovo have held free elections in which they have chosen their leadership and have expressed their determination for the independence of Kosovo in the 1991 referendum, and the Kosovar parliament has declared the independence of Kosovo, first from Serbia, then from the Yugoslav federation, after its disintegration.
The present Kosovo crisis began in early 1998 when fighting broke out, resulting in the displacement of some 300,000 people. A cease-fire was agreed in October 1998, which enabled refugees to find shelter. A Verification Mission was deployed under the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). However, violence continued and the situation worsened with the killings in Racak on 16th January 1999
Many analysts, including the U.S. government, have warned that Kosovo is a potential "power keg", and may ignite a war spreading beyond its borders with consequnces far worse than those of the war in Bosnia.
Thorough this paper I aim to state what is currently happening in Kosovo, by using extracts from a daily newspaper: The Daily Star. Also using information from the Internet specifically Yahoo News which provides top stories from various news centres such as CCN and the BBC.
I will also provide a brief history of Kosovo to show how the situation is what it is today.
March 9th The Daily Star:
Western allies have threatened air strikes against Serbia if Yugoslav President Slobadan Milosevic does not accept an autonomy agreement for Kosovo, including a NATO led peacekeeping force. International mediators have urged the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians to agree by March 15th to a plan for autonomy and to meet in France for talks on implementation. It is not clear if they can produce a "tidy" outcome. NATO top officials and European ministers will debate the future of the alliance at a conference organised by Britain's Royal United Service Institute.
March 10th The Daily Star:
Holbrooke warns Milosevic may be headed for a tragic collision with the armed might of the West, if he does not accept the peace deal in its entirety.
March 10th Yahoo News:
Talks between Holbrooke and Milosevic have halted after 3 hours and it is not clear if they will resume. Peace talks are due to resume on the 15th.
March 11th The Daily Star:
Yugoslav forces poured into Southwestern Kosovo and pounded villages near the province's second largest city as violence spreaRAB following the failure of a U.S. peace mission. With no political settlement in sight, the head of the UN refugee agency warned of growing violence.
The new fighting and Holbrooke's failure to persuade Milosevic to accept the stationing of international peace troops in Kosovo muddied the chances of success for new talks scheduled Monday
March 11th Yahoo News:
The latest fighting was reported in Hoca ZagraRABka. The yugoslav army said that clashes erupted after " strong ethnic Albanian terrorist groups"attacked military patrols south of Prizen. The UN refugee agency warned of a "very grim situation" along the border with Macedonia, where hundreRAB of people displaced by fighting were afraid to return.
The House of Representatives backed the deployment of U.S. troops on a peace keeping mission to Kosovo.President Clinton plans to send 4,000troops to the Balkans as part of a 28,000 strong NATO force that would implement any peace deal.
Kosova, also know as Kosovo is the disputed region between Kosova's Albanian majority and Serbia. Once an independent federal unit of Yugoslavia, it has been stripped away of its autonomy by the Serbian government. Serbian authorities have dismissed Albanians from state-owned enterprises and have suspended Kosovo's legal parliament and government. Presently there is a systematic oppression of the Albanian population in Kosovo by the Serbian government, violation of the basic rights of Albanians occurs frequently.
Kosovo is viewed by the Serbians as the birthplace of their history, culture and religion, but 90% of the province's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian, most of who demand independence. It is one thing to be Ethnic Albanian and a communist in Kosovo in old Yugoslavia, but when the Communist Party collapsed and the Serbian nationalists took power, ethnic Albanians, lacking the protection party merabership once provided, were relegated to the status of a despised minority within Serbia
The Albanians of Kosovo have held free elections in which they have chosen their leadership and have expressed their determination for the independence of Kosovo in the 1991 referendum, and the Kosovar parliament has declared the independence of Kosovo, first from Serbia, then from the Yugoslav federation, after its disintegration.
The present Kosovo crisis began in early 1998 when fighting broke out, resulting in the displacement of some 300,000 people. A cease-fire was agreed in October 1998, which enabled refugees to find shelter. A Verification Mission was deployed under the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). However, violence continued and the situation worsened with the killings in Racak on 16th January 1999
Many analysts, including the U.S. government, have warned that Kosovo is a potential "power keg", and may ignite a war spreading beyond its borders with consequnces far worse than those of the war in Bosnia.
Thorough this paper I aim to state what is currently happening in Kosovo, by using extracts from a daily newspaper: The Daily Star. Also using information from the Internet specifically Yahoo News which provides top stories from various news centres such as CCN and the BBC.
I will also provide a brief history of Kosovo to show how the situation is what it is today.
March 9th The Daily Star:
Western allies have threatened air strikes against Serbia if Yugoslav President Slobadan Milosevic does not accept an autonomy agreement for Kosovo, including a NATO led peacekeeping force. International mediators have urged the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians to agree by March 15th to a plan for autonomy and to meet in France for talks on implementation. It is not clear if they can produce a "tidy" outcome. NATO top officials and European ministers will debate the future of the alliance at a conference organised by Britain's Royal United Service Institute.
March 10th The Daily Star:
Holbrooke warns Milosevic may be headed for a tragic collision with the armed might of the West, if he does not accept the peace deal in its entirety.
March 10th Yahoo News:
Talks between Holbrooke and Milosevic have halted after 3 hours and it is not clear if they will resume. Peace talks are due to resume on the 15th.
March 11th The Daily Star:
Yugoslav forces poured into Southwestern Kosovo and pounded villages near the province's second largest city as violence spreaRAB following the failure of a U.S. peace mission. With no political settlement in sight, the head of the UN refugee agency warned of growing violence.
The new fighting and Holbrooke's failure to persuade Milosevic to accept the stationing of international peace troops in Kosovo muddied the chances of success for new talks scheduled Monday
March 11th Yahoo News:
The latest fighting was reported in Hoca ZagraRABka. The yugoslav army said that clashes erupted after " strong ethnic Albanian terrorist groups"attacked military patrols south of Prizen. The UN refugee agency warned of a "very grim situation" along the border with Macedonia, where hundreRAB of people displaced by fighting were afraid to return.
The House of Representatives backed the deployment of U.S. troops on a peace keeping mission to Kosovo.President Clinton plans to send 4,000troops to the Balkans as part of a 28,000 strong NATO force that would implement any peace deal.