Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist?

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew this weekend after Kosovo’s police raided Serb-dominated areas within the area’s north and seized native municipality buildings.

There have been violent clashes between Kosovo’s police and NATO-led peacekeepers on one aspect and native Serbs on the opposite, leaving a number of individuals injured on each side.

Serbia raised fight readiness of its troops stationed close to the border and warned it gained’t stand by if Serbs in Kosovo are attacked once more. The scenario has once more fueled fears of a renewal of the 1998-99 battle in Kosovo that claimed greater than 10,000 lives and left greater than 1 million homeless.

WHY ARE SERBIA AND KOSOVO AT ODDS?

Kosovo is a primarily ethnic Albanian-populated territory that was previously a province of Serbia. It declared independence in 2008.

Serbia has refused to acknowledge Kosovo’s statehood and nonetheless considers it a part of Serbia, although it has no formal management there.

Kosovo’s independence has been acknowledged by about 100 international locations, together with the United States. Russia, China and 5 European Union nations have sided with Serbia. The impasse has stored tensions simmering and prevented full stabilization of the Balkan area after the bloody wars within the Nineteen Nineties.

WHAT’S THE LATEST FLARE-UP ABOUT?

After Serbs boycotted final month’s native elections held in northern Kosovo, the place Serbs signify a majority, newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors moved into their places of work with the assistance of Kosovo’s riot police final Friday.

Serbs tried to forestall them from taking on the premises, however the police fired tear fuel to disperse them.

On Monday, Serbs staged a protest in entrance of the municipality buildings, triggering a tense standoff that resulted in fierce clashes between the Serbs and the Kosovo peacekeepers and native police.

The election boycott adopted a collective resignation by Serb officers from the world, together with administrative employees, judges, and law enforcement officials, in November 2022.

HOW DEEP IS THE ETHNIC CONFLICT IN KOSOVO?

The dispute over Kosovo is centuries-old. Serbia cherishes the area as the center of its statehood and faith.

Numerous medieval Serb Orthodox Christian monasteries are in Kosovo. Serb nationalists view a 1389 battle in opposition to Ottoman Turks there as a logo of its nationwide battle.

Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians view Kosovo as their nation and accuse Serbia of occupation and repression. Ethnic Albanian rebels launched a insurrection in 1998 to rid the nation of Serbian rule.

Belgrade’s brutal response prompted a NATO intervention in 1999, which compelled Serbia to drag out and cede management to worldwide peacekeepers.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION LOCALLY?

There are fixed tensions between the Kosovo authorities and the Serbs who reside primarily within the north of the nation and maintain shut ties with Belgrade.

Attempts by the central authorities to impose extra management within the Serb-dominated north are normally met with resistance from Serbs.

Mitrovica, the principle city within the north, has been successfully divided into an ethnic Albanian half and a Serb-held half, and the 2 sides not often combine. There are additionally smaller Serb-populated enclaves within the south of Kosovo, whereas tens of 1000’s of Kosovo Serbs reside in central Serbia, the place they fled along with the withdrawing Serb troops in 1999.

HAVE THERE BEEN ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE?

There have been fixed worldwide efforts to seek out widespread floor between the 2 former wartime foes, however there was no closing complete settlement thus far.

EU officers have mediated negotiations designed to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Numerous agreements have been reached in the course of the negotiations, however had been not often carried out on the bottom. Some areas have seen outcomes, like introducing freedom of motion throughout the nation.

An thought has been floated for border adjustments and land swaps as the best way ahead, however this was rejected by many EU international locations out of fears that it might trigger a series response in different ethnically blended areas within the Balkans and set off extra bother within the area that went by way of bloody wars within the Nineteen Nineties.

WHO ARE THE MAIN PLAYERS?

Both Kosovo and Serbia are led by nationalist leaders who haven’t proven readiness for a compromise.

In Kosovo, Albin Kurti, a former pupil protest chief and political prisoner in Serbia, leads the federal government and is the principle negotiator in EU-mediated talks. He was also called a fierce supporter of Kosovo’s unification with Albania and is in opposition to any compromise with Serbia.

Serbia is led by populist President Aleksandar Vucic, who was data minister in the course of the warfare in Kosovo. The former ultranationalist insists that any answer have to be a compromise as a way to final and says the nation gained’t settle until it beneficial properties one thing.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

International officers are hoping to hurry up negotiations and attain an answer within the coming months.

Both nations should normalize ties in the event that they wish to advance towards EU membership. No main breakthrough would imply extended instability, financial decline and fixed potential for clashes.