Kosovo Declares Independence
February 18, 2008
Both widespread celebrations and fervent protests have been taking place since a declaration of independence was issued by the leadership of Kosovo, the majority-Albanian province in southern Serbia, on Sunday. The province, under United Nations rule since 1999, is expected to be recognized as a sovereign nation by many European nations as well as the United States. Speaking from Tanzania, President Bush stated, “the Kosovars are now independent. It’s something that I have advocated, along with my government” (CNN). Later, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “The United States has today formally recognized Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state. We congratulate the people of Kosovo on this historic occasion” (Reuters).
European nations, however, have not all decided to officially recognize Kosovo as “a sovereign and independent state.” While some nations, like Italy and the U.K., have made the move, others refuse to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence. Some nations, including Spain, Russia, and China, fear that recognition would send the wrong message to other separatist groups. British and French officials, however, feel that Kosovo is “unique situation which deserves a unique response,” according to U.K. Foreign Secretary David Milliband (BBC).
Within Kosovo and other parts of Serbia there has been a mixed response, distinctly divided on ethnic lines. Ethnic Albanians, which make up an overwhelming majority in the state, celebrated by waving Albanian, American, and British flags. The feeling of appreciation for the two Western nations stems from the action taken in the 90s to stop a bloody crackdown on separatists by then-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Milosevic died in 2005 before he was slated to go on trial at The Hague for war crimes.
Ethnic Serbians, however, both in Kosovo and throughout Serbia, protested the declaration. The Serbian government vowed not to use military force, but “issued criminal charges against Kosovo leaders for ‘organising the proclamation of a false state on Serbian territory.’” Serbian protesters waved Serbian flags proclaiming “This is Serbia.” Some of the protests became somewhat violent, including the stoning of a U.S. Embassy and the burning of U.S. and Albanian flags. President Bush said he wants to reach out to Serbia, however, saying that resolving the issue is critical to achieving stability in the region: “the Serbian people can know that they have a friend in America” (NYT).
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for everyone “to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region.”
The European Union has made a commitment to send a group of police and civil authorities to replace the United Nations. Currently, NATO maintains a peace-keeping mission in the state.
