Freedom always starts with a struggle and begets violence and non conformance by the oppressors. This is a true case of the newly independent Kosovo, which has recently liberated itself from Serbian dominance. The country, which is still in its nascent stages of being a republic has already started experiencing the wrath of other countries who are not willing to ordain the status of ‘freedom’ on Kosovo.
Although the country has received a strong backing and support from international organizations like NATO that includes the United States of America and European Union, attacks from the countries which border Kosovo, especially Serbia, have started to demonstrate its opposition through acts of violence. Official checkpoints of Kosovo which border Serbia had been torched and Serbian civilians had carried out processions in view to show their disapproval for the newly formed country.
Although NATO’s peacekeepers helped in controlling the violence through constant patrolling and monitoring, the situation still seems to be critical concerning the hostile efforts of Serbia in its belligerent motives. Serbian officials exhorted that the torching was in context of preventing Kosovo from setting up their custom offices at the crossing points, which is to be now considered as national border demarcating specifically the boundaries of Kosovo and Serbia. As Slavisa Ristic exclaimed,
We cannot allow the institutions of a non-existent state to be imposed on us with us paying taxes to some independent Kosovo. That is impossible.
Opposition to Kosovo’s free status has aroused international concerns with Russia and Serbia respectively taking this issue to the United Nation Security Council and Organisation for Security and Cooperation. Well the border issues initially can turn into large territorial conflicts. It can only be hoped that Kosovo and Serbian conflict does not evolve to an issue like that of India and Pakistan.
Source: TimesOnline
