Month

September 2011

Kosovo – myth busting

A number of myths about the north of Kosovo - including that there is a military/police solution to its refusal to accept rule by Pristina and that EULEX is acting legally in seeking to impose Kosovo customs in the north - continue to jeopardize peace and security.

Returning disputed war monuments

TransConflict is pleased to present a research paper, entitled 'Returning disputed war monuments – can heritage be reinterpreted for new political agendas?', which explores how the much-disputed Isted Lion - which Denmark recently returned to Flensburg, Germany - no longer recalls a famous Danish military victory, but is instead presented as a symbolic expression of trust between the two countries.

Waiting for Godot in Dodik’s Bosnia

By appealing to the notion of inter-ethnic rotation of senior government positions, Milorad Dodik has exploited and widened divisions between the Bosniaks and Croats, thereby further stymieing the formation of a state-level government.

Kosovo – EULEX and status neutral customs

With KFOR clearly acting in violation of its UN Security Council mandate in supporting Pristina's ban on Serbian imports, Kosovo Serbs are within their rights to expect EULEX to follow status neutral procedures should it insist on doing customs in the north.

The importance of being Bosniak

Many Bosniak political and media opinion makers are discovering that their best option involves using a traditional and, in the context of current borders, transnational ethnic movement to improve their leverage with their neighbours and the EU.

The Berlinisation of north Kosovo

A European solution to the Kosovo issues requires that boundaries be broken down through negotiation and compromise, rather than reinforced through unilateralism and the use of violence.

Kosovo – the coming conflict over customs

Though Serbia and Kosovo have reached a compromise agreement on customs seals, Pristina's efforts to impose its customs officers and fee collection at the northern boundary will likely became a further source of violence.

Post-Gaddafi Libya – a liberal peace project

Despite Western policy-makers insisting that they will not meddle in Libya's internal affairs in the aftermath of the war, it is hard to believe that the Libyans will be in the driving seat when it comes to choosing their country's future governance and economic systems.
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