Kosovo: split in the family?

The other day, the International Crisis Group strictly criticized the UN civil administration in Kosovo, the BBC informs. On the whole, the group's report contained nothing new. The UN representatives in the region are said to be responsible for the split of Kosovo into Serbian and Albanian enclaves. At the same time, there is one interesting detail in the report. As it turns out, the present situation in the region is caused not by the aggressive Albanian community aiming at forcing Serbs out of the region, but by Belgrade’s policy. Experts of the Crisis Group say that the UN administration did not adequately resist “Belgrade’s increasing influence on the northern parts of Kosovo inhabited by Serbs.”

It is said that Belgrade “financed those groups” that collided with the UN police; despite the UN resolutions, Serbian authorities “continue to control the education, public health, and judicial sectors of the northern part of Kosovo.”

The International Crisis Group concludes that the above-mentioned facts “undermine the effectiveness of talks” on Kosovo’s future. Indeed, law-abiding Albanians are looking forward to the talks, but the Serbs are striving to frustrate the talks.

Let me remind you of one detail as an example: on May 23, when Skupstine passed a resolution that lessened the value of the Yugoslavia – Macedonia boundary agreement, Kosovo’s Albanians would not even listen to opinion of Serbian deputies on the problem. The latter left the assembly hall to demonstrate their protest against such an attitude. It is pefectly evident that the leaders of ethnic Albanians utterly despise the law and constitutional norms. These “negotiators” use any possible means to achieve their separatist ends. Are any talks possible with Rugova, a so-called “restrained” Albanian Dudayev (Chechen field commander)?

Macedonia Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, after the adoption of the above-mentioned resolution in Kosovo, said that the republic of Macedonia would not have any talks with those people, as it no longer made any sense. It was also added that Macedonia was in a state of “ cold war” with Kosovo. Sometimes, reports and statements of “the international community” give a carte blanche to the region’s separatists.

Sergey Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/06/04/42201.html