Awaiting an independence day
The battle between autonomy and complete independence has reached its finishing stages close to the shores of the Adriatic. The autonomy lobby includes Serbia backed by the Russia while the independence lobby is filled with allied westerners like the European Union and the United States. Yesterday, the deadline for the extended negotiations on the future status of Kosovo ended and a new countdown for an eventual independence began. International negotiators from the US, EU and Russia confirmed the failure of talks, in their report to the UN. The people of Kosovo, a strong 90% ethnic Albanian majority, are likely to declare independence soon, with the support of the European Union. Russia meanwhile is favoring another round of negotiations, in principle, launching a desperate attempt to veto a likely Kosovo independence. Serbia hopes its ally would be able to win time.
Kosovo Geography
Kosovo, a Serbian province in the South, has been under the United Nations administration since 1999, when the international efforts pushed the Serb perpetrators out of the area. Since then, marathon meetings were held to decide its fate. Serbia does not favor an independent Kosovo and is wiling to grant autonomy. However, the western powers are pushing for independence in their efforts to corner Russia, like they have done in other parts of Europe through color revolutions. Now, with the last date for negotiations passed, a likely full-independence of Kosovo looms large over Serbia.
Kosovo’s Albanians expect independence this year
One problem that has been responsible for decades of disorder in the Balkans is the ethnic diversity with out any unity. It has resulted in complete disintegration of Yugoslavia, culminating in a likely Kosovo split very soon. 90% of Kosovo’s population is ethnic Albanian while the remaining ten percent form a Serbian minority. To compound problems further, the ethnic issue is now turning an identity drama. The Albanians themselves are yet to accept themselves a ‘Kosovar’, while they still look at Republic of Albania for their roots. Some Albanian Muslims, who form a significant majority in Kosovo, even look at the Middle East in search of their bases. Not many have begun to acknowledge the identity ‘Kosovar’
Hashim Thaci, the incoming Kosovo prime minister who was the head of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army, recently said:
“A Kosovo identity does not exist. But the taboo is beginning to crack.
While the search for an identity gains momentum, another serious question has begun to knock the doors of the future constitution makers. Will Kosovo be secular? Voices have already been gathering supporters to overcome ethnic and religious sentiments to forge a secular state. A recent flag design contest also buttressed the fact.
Agim Ceku, Kosovo’s outgoing prime minister, argued in an interview that
...it was essential for Kosovo to forge a secular nation and draft a constitution like America’s which bestows universal rights on all of citizens.
For sometime now even symbols have begun to enter the competing identity scene. Examples include monuments, statutes of KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) soldiers, the Dardania design and many more.
In search of a future
In a nut shell, while Kosovars stand on the verge of a sure independence, the real challenge now would be to address and resolve the problems of identity and ethnicity while flying a secular flag high. It is also important to understand that, while the resentment against Serbians emerged out of a perceived Milosevic (Former Yugoslavia President) misbehavior, today Kosovars need to move past those memories and look forward at building a culturally secure, economically forward and a politically stable nation state. They cannot afford an ethnic conflict repeat anymore
News Source: Herald Tribune, Yahoo News
