Kosovo – an approach to settling the north emerging?
Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade has moved surprisingly well since the new – supposedly radical nationalist – Serbian government took up its side late last... Read More
Albanians play the “Greater Albania” card over north Kosovo
The response of the Kosovo Albanians – who still want to win everything and reject any compromise over the north – to Serbia’s new “Kosovo... Read More
Belgrade’s platform for Kosovo
Serbia’s platform for negotiations on Kosovo can be seen as a first real effort to accommodate the diametrically opposed views of Kosovo and Serbia on... Read More
Kosovo – the UN role in the north
Attempts by Pristina to drive the UN mission out of the north – in particular through cuts in funding and the establishment of its own “Potemkin”... Read More
Kosovo – still a battle for the north?
UNMIK, EULEX and KFOR should act as necessary to stop unilateral construction in north Mitrovica until there is a mutually agreed, Kosovo-wide approach to internally-displaced persons... Read More
Kosovo – stuck in the same old places?
The situation on the ground in the north of Kosovo has changed little since 2009, despite often strenuous efforts by Pristina – supported by KFOR... Read More
Kosovo – what’s so special about borders?
In the 21st Century – and within the context of bringing both countries into the EU – borders need not be impermeable and enclaves of... Read More
Kosovo – Belgrade plays smarter but still with nowhere to go?
The EU-led “dialogue” between Belgrade and Pristina will stall at some juncture because of the failure of the Quint and Pristina to accept a real compromise over the north, one that keeps it within Kosovo but also functionally part of Serbia.
Kosovo – what role for the UN?
The UN should play the lead role in negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina - or at least serve as a neutral umpire - as the continuing Kosovo status dispute cannot be settled through the one-sided approach so far pushed by the Quint.
Ireland and Kosovo
Elements of the Irish-English settlement may offer a model for how a Kosovar-Serbia deal might be made, including recognition that the creation of an ethnic state cannot proceed peacefully on the back of forcing an ethnic minority to join.
Kosovo – northern strategies
Only the US has the leverage to make the Kosovo Albanians come to the table and reach a compromise - one that keeps the north as part of Kosovo, yet not under Pristina - but this will have to be imposed on Pristina.
Kosovo – UNMIK refuses Quint gambit
An UNMIK presence in north Mitrovica - and the other three Serb-majority municipalities in the north - is required under UNSCR 1244 and remains the only available means to peacefully preserve the integrity of Kosovo's boundaries as recognized by 1244.
Kosovo – the end of UNSCR 1244?
It is increasingly clear that those working under a UN Security Council mandate for peacekeeping are abandoning that very mandate in order to enforce a "solution" favourable to one side alone.
Kosovo – time to change the paradigm
With the Quint peacekeepers - KFOR and EULEX - employing force to impose a one-sided regime, the peacekeeping phase has now reached its end and it is time to impose a settlement that clears the way for real peace.
Kosovo – Pristina’s Potemkin ‘North Kosova’
Pristina's demand that UNMIK close its office in north Mitrovica, combined with attempts to install its own Potemkin administration in its place, constitute a fresh assault on peace and stability.
Kosovo – Pristina doesn’t really want negotiations on the north
The May 17 arrest of a young Serb employee of UNMIK's north Mitrovica office suggests that the Kosovo Albanians have no intention of accepting a negotiated outcome for the region north of the Ibar River.
Kosovo – getting to dialogue on the north
Having realized that the north cannot simply be conquered, the Quint might finally be ready to recognize that something more than the bare outline of the Ahtisaari Plan may be required to unlock the status dispute.
Kosovo – end of ‘supervised independence’
In the absence of a mutually-acceptable political outcome for northern Kosovo, the UN must be prepared to stay in the field and return, if necessary, its own international police force to stand with KFOR as the responsible peacekeepers.
Kosovo – now and in the future
Kosovo faces two fundamental challenges – its still unsettled status and the economy - that will continue to inhibit its progress towards becoming a self-sustaining, economically prosperous, and socially stable country.
Kosovo – Pristina’s effort to strangle the north
Pristina's illegal actions against Trepca North have brought its ability to operate and pay its thousands of workers and dependents to a grinding halt; a move that is unlikely to improve an already dangerously tense situation.
Kosovo – almost time to deal with the north
Only dialogue, patient outreach and a shared readiness to compromise can tackle the root causes of recent tensions in the north of Kosovo; namely, its unsettled status and Quint insistence on trying to settle it through use of force.
Serbia and Kosovo – Tadic bets on good behavior?
With Serbia's president having announced his resignation in order to contest the presidential elections, one might have imagined the Quint giving Tadic some space and peacemaking more time; instead they seem to be focused on squeezing the noose tighter.
Kosovo – elections and the north
Pristina and the Quint could have chosen to ignore the elections by dismissing their significance and taking the high road; instead, the EU's warnings and threats have only served to fuel confrontation.
Sudan – a ‘Kosovo’ approach to Abyei and Nuba?
While the Kosovo-Serbia case is fundamentally different from that of Sudan, the experience of the Serbian enclaves in Kosovo is not so dissimilar to the situation of the African enclaves in southern Sudan, and may indeed serve as a model for dealing with Abyei and Nuba.
Kosovo – Serbian elections going ahead in a Tadic compromise
Whilst Serbia's decision to hold local elections in Kosovo has agitated Pristina and the Quint, there are signs of an openness for a political settlement on the north that goes beyond simple imposition of Pristina control.
