Kosovo

Since Kosovo’s independence, there have been some lower to mid-scale incidents of ethnic violence. Tensions flare up occasionally, some resulting in violence and casualties, mainly in northern Kosovo, as in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. In locations inhabited by a Kosovo Serb majority, particularly north of the River Ibar, the Kosovo Government and EULEX face challenges in guaranteeing the rule of law. This is due to mistrust by the communities in law enforcement and justice institutions, and specifically in the government in Prishtina; weak institutional capacity; and the existence of competing administrative structures, one supported by UNMIK, one by the government in Belgrade, and one by the government in Prishtina.

The first local elections after the declaration of independence were held in November 2009, which overall met international standards and were carried out without violent incidents. Kosovo Serbs in parts of Kosovo other than the north have largely participated in the elections, and as part of the decentralization process a number of new municipalities have been established in Kosovo Serb areas. Kosovo elections for the new municipality of North Mitrovica and Partesh/Parteš were postponed due to elections organised by Serbia in Kosovo's north and municipality of Novobërdë//Novoberdo on 30 May 2010 which have increased tensions between Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian communities and triggered protests, the escalation of which has been prevented by Kosovo Police, EULEX Police and KFOR.

Kosovo has been making progress in the adoption of SALW and security related legal frameworks and the development of recently established security institutions including the relevant parliamentary committees. Public trust in security institutions varies with Kosovo Police enjoying most trust overall, albeit not equally by all ethnic groups. However, a lack of implementation and enforcement of laws, insufficient parliamentary oversight of security institutions and poor and unfair access to justice are of serious concern. 

Progress in the development and strengthening of democratic institutions and processes has been slow, leading some to warn that serious steps are needed to address the economic and social situation and the rule of law in order to maintain relative stability beyond the post-independence period. Corruption is further hampering the provision of public services and limiting trust in the political elite. Political pressure on the media and interference by the judiciary has been reported. The lack of economic progress is compounded by one of the highest unemployment rates and worst poverty indices in Europe, contributing to an increased public dissatisfaction, which has the potential to pose a serious threat to a prosperous future of Kosovo.

Following an escalation of inter-ethnic tensions as Yugoslavia began to unravel, Kosovo became the scene of a vicious conflict in the mid-to-late 1990s between the Serbian military and Kosovo Albanian resistance forces. The killing and execution of Kosovo Albanian civilians during the war in 1998/1999 belatedly brought the conflict to the forefront of the international community's attention and in March 1999 Nato launched an intense ten-week aerial bombardment against Serbia, aimed at forcing Sloboban Milosevic to withdraw his military and police troops from Kosovo.

Reports estimate that in all, more than 13,000 people lost their lives, were wounded or went missing during the war, and up to a million people were forced to leave their homes, most of them fleeing to Albania and Macedonia.

Based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 from June 1999, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was established, leaving Kosovo's status unresolved. Kosovo was governed by UNMIK for nearly nine years. In February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence and adopted a new constitution, based on the Athisaari-Plan. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by over a third of UN member states (among them 22 out of 27 EU member states) to date, including Britain and the US. Serbia refuses to do so and has required an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legality of the declaration of independence, according to international law.

In 2008, the International Civilian Office (ICO) was established in Kosovo to ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Status Settlement, and to support Kosovo’s European Integration. The EU deployed the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), the largest civilian mission ever launched under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in Kosovo, charged with supporting the Kosovo authorities on police, judiciary and customs issues, while retaining certain executive powers. EULEX faces challenges to make visible progress and meet the expectations of people living in Kosovo. Due to the improved security situation since 1999, there has been a significant reduction of NATO’s KFOR troops.

Tracker survey reveals rising tensions in Western Balkans

New survey data shows that more people in Kosovo believe violent conflict is likely or very likely than did so a year earlier. Astrit Istrefi highlights key findings from the latest tracker survey and recommends steps for Kosovo, Serbia and the European Union to avoid renewed violent conflict