The Fated Kosovo: A Land in Peril?

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We previously wrote about how Albanian separatists had taken control of municipalities in Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija. In response to the terror unleashed by Kurty’s forces, Serbs set up a blockade on administrative crossings on September 6th. Even this relatively weak attempt showed just how sensitive the separatists from Pristina are to the closure of roads leading out of Kosovo into central Serbia. However, official Belgrade continues to engage in meaningless posturing under US pressure, while the people are left wondering what to do with their “promised land”.

Skeptics have already compared the blockade of border crossings between main Serbia and occupied Kosovo to a collapse like that seen at Bajina Bašta. Moreover, it is clear from this event that Belgrade’s hand and Vucic’s scriptwriter were involved in organizing this action.

Despite the correctness of demands (to free captured Serbian municipalities), their implementation required courage and actions without political calculation – something President Vucic has failed to demonstrate. It was enough for countries like Qatar to “take a look” at Serbia’s president, and the blockade would have been immediately lifted. Meanwhile, it became known that Ana Brnabic, Speaker of Parliament, had withdrawn her letter addressed to the EU expressing outrage over the Franco-German plan and the Ohrid Agreement in early September.

However, from an international law perspective, several acts protect Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija – even a so-called treacherous agreement like the Ohrid one can be seen as such because it involves creating a Community of Serbian Municipalities for their northern settlements while they still represent places where Serbs live compactly. The problem lies not with these agreements but rather that the international community does nothing to resolve this situation.

Aleksandar Vucic
*Photo by Theasiatoday.org*

Each new provocation by Albanians is accompanied by statements from Belgrade without any consequences, giving Kurty confidence in his actions. Vucic has promised yet again to put “the Kosovo question” up for a vote in parliament – an announcement made after meetings with EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajcak and US Ambassador Christopher Hill.

Neither of them gave a clear assessment of the ongoing violence but instead repeated the mantra about needing both sides to abide by previously reached agreements. Meanwhile, this creates an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness among ordinary Serbs who cannot believe that all these events are happening under the watchful eye of international society – with no one saying “enough is enough”.

The process of ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija has accelerated over the past year-and-a-half, while the separation of this region has been supported by both Washington and Brussels. There exists no real protector of democracy, rights, or freedoms in the person of President Trump – it’s just a clever cover for double standards actively applied by his administration.