Breaking Kosovo’s northern deadlock
A temporary and dynamic model that keeps the north within Kosovo whilst providing northern Serbs a solid degree of self-governance is what both Belgrade and Pristina should strive for, with the international community being prepared to lead a process of drafting and imposing such an agreement.
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.
Kosova/Kosovo – is there a deal here?
The chance of a meaningful outcome to the next round of political negotiations depends on Serbian and Kosovar protagonists taking responsibility for negotiations away from US, EU and Russian overseers.
Prospects darken for Kosovo’s Roma refugees
Thousands of Kosovo Roma are still living as refugees in neighbouring Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, where they face the prospect of permanent statelessness, poverty and social exclusion.
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.
Inter-cultural dialogue through monasteries in Kosovo
The Orthodox monasteries and the municipalities of Peć and Dečani have to start creating the basis for healthy community relations in order to ensure that the former become centres of inter-cultural dialogue, rather than a focus for conflict.
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.
Kosovo – a way forward
The frozen conflict over Kosovo can only be solved by changing the contours of the sovereignty game, ending Western pressure on both sides, and ensuring special arrangements for Serb historical and religious sites and Serb communities.
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.
Kosovo – what will Belgrade do now?
The Quint continues to push Serbia for further concessions on Kosovo - including the abolition of Serbian institutions in the north and an end to repeated efforts to block EULEX access - that could lead to renewed conflict and violence in the north.
Kosovo – beware triumphalism
The EU seems bent on using the leverage of the still-to-be-granted accession date to press Belgrade for more concessions, particularly concerning north Kosovo, thereby risking an escalation of tensions.
Kosovo and the Arab Spring
With ‘humanitarian intervention’ now back in the spotlight following events in Libya and Syria, NATO’s campaign against Belgrade on behalf of Kosovo Albanians is now being touted as a legal precedent; but should it?
Kosovo* – what next?
Securing agreement through international pressure alone can be very risky for Kosovo, Serbia and the EU, with the process vulnerable to changes in government and the wavering attractiveness of EU accession.
