Following the Belgrade-Pristina April accords, the parties agreed to an implementation plan which remains just an outline with important details still to be determined. It seems that the Quint expect Belgrade to impose more of a political agenda upon the northerners, but what if it can’t and the northern Kosovo Serbs [...]

The cultural heritage of Prizren has long been one of peaceful coexistence, yet various political agendas – both international and domestic – have chosen to pursue their own interpretations and interests. In this case, therefore, politics is a threat to multiculturalism, despite claiming to respect it.

The conflict over the north has been – and remains – zero sum. No matter what the Kosovo Albanians say to their internationals, the local Serbs do not believe that they will be allowed to remain in possession of the land, water and border with Serbia in the north should [...]

The status quo in the north is neither stable nor productive. Whatever responsibility Albanians have, Serbs must accept their own responsibility for the lack of perspective in the north. The duty of interested outsiders is to help the population see that its interests lie in embracing the change, not fleeing [...]

The agreement is an important step in the direction of establishing good-neighbourly relations between the two countries, although it does not determine the ultimate success of the Kosovo-Serbian dialogue. The question of how to implement the agreement, however, remains open.

For progress to be made, there needs to be a second set of negotiations, this time with the northern Kosovo Serbs. As long as they resist implementation, little can be done peacefully. The EU should support Belgrade in finding a negotiated result rather than continue to threaten progress on membership, [...]

Whilst some may be tempted to use radical, far right organizations as proxies for their daily political goals, they would be wise to remember that even the most powerful political and security actors have in the past ‘overplayed’ with fire and created potent adversaries. 

The pace of events over the north should not be dictated by getting an EU date in June. That’s just not a reasonable amount of time to begin the process of change being demanded of the northern Kosovo Serbs, nor can any quick change on the ground be forced upon [...]

The reasons for migrations were manifold, but public opinion believed them to be fear, pressure, inequality, and the failure of legislation to protect people and their possessions. This public opinion was shaped by Yugoslav and, especially, Serbian press reports about harassment of, violence (especially rape) against, and general mistreatment of [...]

If the northerners come to decide it worth the effort to try to make the agreement into something they can live with, resistance as a tactic would have to include a willingness to participate in determining how it might work. Using the Ahtisaari Plan as a basis, there are ways [...]