ENB:KOSOVO IN-neocolonial-DEPENDENCE

ENB:KOSOVO IN-NEO COLONIAL-DEPENDENCE
Albanian triumph, Serb anger as Kosovo secedes
By Douglas Hamilton1 hour, 45 minutes ago
Kosovo Albanians will proclaim independence from Serbia on Sunday, ending a long chapter in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia but cementing a bitter ethnicfrontline in the Balkans.Kosovo will be the 6th state carved from the Serb-dominated federation since 1991, after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and the last toescape Serbia's embrace.The Serbs vow never to give up the land where their history goes back 1,000 years.They will reject independence in defiance of the Albanians and their Western backers and will keep their grip on strongholds in northern Kosovo, making the ethnicpartition of the new state a reality from the start."The influence of Belgrade has ended," Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said. "The success of Kosovo's independence as a new beginning will be clearlymeasured by respect for the rights of minorities, especially Serbs," the former guerrilla promised.Snow blanketed the capital on Sunday morning after triumphant celebrations the night before, thousands of Albanians pouring into the streets, flags in every hand andcar horns blaring. Banners proclaimed "Happy Independence.""Today, a new life begins. The past should not be forgotten, but it belongs to the past, and should be forgiven," the Kosovo daily Koha Ditore wrote.Ten years ago this week, Serb forces fought an Albanian guerrilla uprising, killing civilians who got in the way. Major Western powers were calling for talks. Russiabacked Serbia in its battle with "terrorists."Determined to end a decade of humiliation from Belgrade under the late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, the Albanians fought on until the West, unable to sit powerlessafter other Balkan bloodbaths, bombed Serbia into submission in 1999.Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since Serb forces withdrew in June that year. Promised swift recognition by the United States and major EuropeanUnion powers, Kosovo's 90 percent Albanian majority can now ignore Serb warnings.RAZOR-WIRE"This is the happiest day," said Tahir Bajrami, an elderly Kosovo Albanian who flew from New York to join the celebrations. "We were prisoners, but this marks anew beginning," he said.The European Union will deploy a rule-of-law mission of some 2,000 starting next month to take over from the United Nations. A NATO-led peace force of 16,000troops will stay on.Establishing their writ in Serb-dominated land north of the Ibar River will be their toughest challenge. Serbia says the EU mission is illegitimate because it has no U.N.mandate, and its major ally Russia backs that position.Serbia promised reprisals but kept them secret. Analysts believe any trade, diplomatic or bureaucratic blockade will be relatively short-lived. But they sayimpoverished Kosovo, whose population of 2 million is Europe's youngest, will need a lot of development aid and on-the-spot guidance for years to come.Western powers are also nervously watching for any Kosovo fallout in ethnically divided Bosnia, where some Serbs threaten to secede, breaking up their uneasypartnership with Muslims and Croats in what would be yet another Balkan fragmentation.And in neighboring Macedonia, where NATO and the EU stepped in to cut short an ethnic guerrilla war, the Macedonian-Albanian coalition had its fingers crossedfor a soft landing in Kosovo.NATO peacekeepers were not relying on optimism. French troops prepared concrete and razor-wire barriers to separate Serbs from Albanians in the flashpoint cityof Mitrovica.The commander of NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo, French Lieutenant-General Xavier de Marnhac, said his troops "will react and oppose any provocation thatmay happen during these days, whether from the Albanian or the Serb side."Tens of thousands of Serbs fled Kosovo in 1999, fearing Albanian vengeance. Of the 120,000 who stayed, about half live in the northern enclave. But the rest arescattered in small, isolated and vulnerable villages.Kosovo's declaration will come at a session of parliament to begin at 3.00 p.m. (9 a.m. EST). Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica will address his country at4.00 p.m. (10 a.m. EST).The weather forecast was for heavy snow all day.(Additional reporting by Matt Robinson and Shaban Buza; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Resolution 1244 (1999)Adopted by the Security Council at its 4011th meeting,on 10 June 1999
The Security Council,Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance ofinternational peace and security,Recalling its resolutions 1160 (1998) of 31 March 1998, 1199 (1998) of 23 September 1998, 1203 (1998) of 24 October 1998 and 1239 (1999) of 14 May 1999,Regretting that there has not been full compliance with the requirements of these resolutions,Determined to resolve the grave humanitarian situation in Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and to provide for the safe and free return of all refugees anddisplaced persons to their homes,Condemning all acts of violence against the Kosovo population as well as all terrorist acts by any party,Recalling the statement made by the Secretary-General on 9 April 1999, expressing concern at the humanitarian tragedy taking place in Kosovo,Reaffirming the right of all refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes in safety,Recalling the jurisdiction and the mandate of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia,Welcoming the general principles on a political solution to the Kosovo crisis adopted on 6 May 1999 (S/1999/516, annex 1 to this resolution) and welcoming alsothe acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the principles set forth in points 1 to 9 of the paper presented in Belgrade on 2 June 1999 (S/1999/649,annex 2 to this resolution), and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's agreement to that paper,Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other States of the region,as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and annex 2,Reaffirming the call in previous resolutions for substantial autonomy and meaningful self-administration for Kosovo,Determining that the situation in the region continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,Determined to ensure the safety and security of international personnel and the implementation by all concerned of their responsibilities under the present resolution,and acting for these purposes under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,Decides that a political solution to the Kosovo crisis shall be based on the general principles in annex 1 and as further elaborated in the principles and other requiredelements in annex 2;Welcomes the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the principles and other required elements referred to in paragraph 1 above, and demands the fullcooperation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in their rapid implementation;Demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo, and begin and completeverifiable phased withdrawal from Kosovo of all military, police and paramilitary forces according to a rapid timetable, with which the deployment of the internationalsecurity presence in Kosovo will be synchronized;Confirms that after the withdrawal an agreed number of Yugoslav and Serb military and police personnel will be permitted to return to Kosovo to perform thefunctions in accordance with annex 2;Decides on the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, of international civil and security presences, with appropriate equipment and personnel asrequired, and welcomes the agreement of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to such presences;Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with the Security Council, a Special Representative to control the implementation of the international civilpresence, and further requests the Secretary-General to instruct his Special Representative to coordinate closely with the international security presence to ensure thatboth presences operate towards the same goals and in a mutually supportive manner;Authorizes Member States and relevant international organizations to establish the international security presence in Kosovo as set out in point 4 of annex 2 with allnecessary means to fulfil its responsibilities under paragraph 9 below;Affirms the need for the rapid early deployment of effective international civil and security presences to Kosovo, and demands that the parties cooperate fully in theirdeployment;Decides that the responsibilities of the international security presence to be deployed and acting in Kosovo will include:Deterring renewed hostilities, maintaining and where necessary enforcing a ceasefire, and ensuring the withdrawal and preventing the return into Kosovo of Federaland Republic military, police and paramilitary forces, except as provided in point 6 of annex 2; Demilitarizing the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups as required in paragraph 15 below;Establishing a secure environment in which refugees and displaced persons can return home in safety, the international civil presence can operate, a transitionaladministration can be established, and humanitarian aid can be delivered;Ensuring public safety and order until the international civil presence can take responsibility for this task;Supervising demining until the international civil presence can, as appropriate, take over responsibility for this task;Supporting, as appropriate, and coordinating closely with the work of the international civil presence;Conducting border monitoring duties as required;Ensuring the protection and freedom of movement of itself, the international civil presence, and other international organizations;Authorizes the Secretary-General, with the assistance of relevant international organizations, to establish an international civil presence in Kosovo in order to providean interim administration for Kosovo under which the people of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and which willprovide transitional administration while establishing and overseeing the development of provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for apeaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo;Decides that the main responsibilities of the international civil presence will include:Promoting the establishment, pending a final settlement, of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo, taking full account of annex 2 and of the Rambouilletaccords (S/1999/648);Performing basic civilian administrative functions where and as long as required;Organizing and overseeing the development of provisional institutions for democratic and autonomous self-government pending a political settlement, including theholding of elections;Transferring, as these institutions are established, its administrative responsibilities while overseeing and supporting the consolidation of Kosovo's local provisionalinstitutions and other peace-building activities;Facilitating a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status, taking into account the Rambouillet accords (S/1999/648);In a final stage, overseeing the transfer of authority from Kosovo's provisional institutions to institutions established under a political settlement;Supporting the reconstruction of key infrastructure and other economic reconstruction;Supporting, in coordination with international humanitarian organizations, humanitarian and disaster relief aid;Maintaining civil law and order, including establishing local police forces and meanwhile through the deployment of international police personnel to serve in Kosovo;Protecting and promoting human rights;Assuring the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo;Emphasizes the need for coordinated humanitarian relief operations, and for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to allow unimpeded access to Kosovo byhumanitarian aid organizations and to cooperate with such organizations so as to ensure the fast and effective delivery of international aid;Encourages all Member States and international organizations to contribute to economic and social reconstruction as well as to the safe return of refugees anddisplaced persons, and emphasizes in this context the importance of convening an international donors' conference, particularly for the purposes set out in paragraph11 (g) above, at the earliest possible date;Demands full cooperation by all concerned, including the international security presence, with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia;Demands that the KLA and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups end immediately all offensive actions and comply with the requirements for demilitarization as laiddown by the head of the international security presence in consultation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General;Decides that the prohibitions imposed by paragraph 8 of resolution 1160 (1998) shall not apply to arms and related matériel for the use of the international civil andsecurity presences;Welcomes the work in hand in the European Union and other international organizations to develop a comprehensive approach to the economic development andstabilization of the region affected by the Kosovo crisis, including the implementation of a Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe with broad internationalparticipation in order to further the promotion of democracy, economic prosperity, stability and regional cooperation;Demands that all States in the region cooperate fully in the implementation of all aspects of this resolution;Decides that the international civil and security presences are established for an initial period of 12 months, to continue thereafter unless the Security Council decidesotherwise;Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council at regular intervals on the implementation of this resolution, including reports from the leaderships of theinternational civil and security presences, the first reports to be submitted within 30 days of the adoption of this resolution;Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. Annex 1Statement by the Chairman on the conclusion of the meeting of the G-8 Foreign Ministers held at the Petersberg Centre on 6 May 1999The G-8 Foreign Ministers adopted the following general principles on the political solution to the Kosovo crisis:Immediate and verifiable end of violence and repression in Kosovo;Withdrawal from Kosovo of military, police and paramilitary forces;Deployment in Kosovo of effective international civil and security presences, endorsed and adopted by the United Nations, capable of guaranteeing the achievementof the common objectives;Establishment of an interim administration for Kosovo to be decided by the Security Council of the United Nations to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal lifefor all inhabitants in Kosovo;The safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons and unimpeded access to Kosovo by humanitarian aid organizations;A political process towards the establishment of an interim political framework agreement providing for a substantial self-government for Kosovo, taking full accountof the Rambouillet accords and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other countries of the region, andthe demilitarization of the KLA;Comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilization of the crisis region. Annex 2Agreement should be reached on the following principles to move towards a resolution of the Kosovo crisis:An immediate and verifiable end of violence and repression in Kosovo. Verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo of all military, police and paramilitary forces according to a rapid timetable.Deployment in Kosovo under United Nations auspices of effective international civil and security presences, acting as may be decided under Chapter VII of theCharter, capable of guaranteeing the achievement of common objectives.The international security presence with substantial North Atlantic Treaty Organization participation must be deployed under unified command and control andauthorized to establish a safe environment for all people in Kosovo and to facilitate the safe return to their homes of all displaced persons and refugees.Establishment of an interim administration for Kosovo as a part of the international civil presence under which the people of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomywithin the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to be decided by the Security Council of the United Nations. The interim administration to provide transitionaladministration while establishing and overseeing the development of provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normallife for all inhabitants in Kosovo.After withdrawal, an agreed number of Yugoslav and Serbian personnel will be permitted to return to perform the following functions:Liaison with the international civil mission and the international security presence; Marking/clearing minefields; Maintaining a presence at Serb patrimonial sites; Maintaining a presence at key border crossings.Safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons under the supervision of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and unimpededaccess to Kosovo by humanitarian aid organizations.A political process towards the establishment of an interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo, taking full account ofthe Rambouillet accords and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other countries of the region, and thedemilitarization of UCK. Negotiations between the parties for a settlement should not delay or disrupt the establishment of democratic self-governing institutions.A comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilization of the crisis region. This will include the implementation of a stability pact for South-Eastern Europe with broad international participation in order to further promotion of democracy, economic prosperity, stability and regional cooperation.Suspension of military activity will require acceptance of the principles set forth above in addition to agreement to other, previously identified, required elements,which are specified in the footnote below.(1) A military-technical agreement will then be rapidly concluded that would, among other things, specify additionalmodalities, including the roles and functions of Yugoslav/Serb personnel in Kosovo: WithdrawalProcedures for withdrawals, including the phased, detailed schedule and delineation of a buffer area in Serbia beyond which forces will be withdrawn; Returning personnelEquipment associated with returning personnel; Terms of reference for their functional responsibilities; Timetable for their return; Delineation of their geographical areas of operation; Rules governing their relationship to the international security presence and the international civil mission.--------NotesOther required elements:A rapid and precise timetable for withdrawals, meaning, e.g., seven days to complete withdrawal and air defence weapons withdrawn outside a 25 kilometre mutualsafety zone within 48 hours;Return of personnel for the four functions specified above will be under the supervision of the international security presence and will be limited to a small agreednumber (hundreds, not thousands);Suspension of military activity will occur after the beginning of verifiable withdrawals;The discussion and achievement of a military-technical agreement shall not extend the previously determined time for completion of withdrawals.
Kosovo Prepares for Independence
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPublished: February 17, 2008Filed at 3:19 a.m. ETPRISTINA, Serbia (AP) -- A decade after Serbia sent in troops to crush a rebellion, Kosovo prepared to declare independence on Sunday -- a bold and historicmove to carve a new country out of a corner of Europe long bloodied by ethnic strife.By sidestepping the U.N. and appealing directly to the U.S. and other nations for recognition, Kosovo's independence sets up a showdown with Serbia -- outragedat the imminent loss of its territory -- and Russia, which warns of a dangerous precedent for separatist groups worldwide.Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army whose ethnic Albanian guerrillas clashed with Serb troops in a 1998-99 conflict thatclaimed 10,000 lives, was expected to convene an extraordinary session of parliament Sunday afternoon to proclaim the Republic of Kosovo.On the eve of the Serbian province's bid for statehood, Thaci hailed it as ''a historic day in our effort to create a state.''''We are getting our independence,'' he said in a nationally televised address. ''Everything is a done deal. The world's map is changing.''Underscoring Serbian anger, about 1,000 people staged a noisy protest in Belgrade on Saturday, waving Serbian flags and chanting ''Kosovo is the heart of Serbia.''Kosovo has formally remained a part of Serbia even though it has been administered by the U.N. and NATO since the war ended in 1999. The province is stillprotected by 16,000 NATO-led peacekeepers, and the alliance boosted its patrols over the weekend in hopes of discouraging violence. International police,meanwhile, deployed to back up local forces in the tense north.''It would be best for the Americans to take the Albanians to America and give them a part of their territory, so that they could have a small republic there,'' saidLjubinko Stefanovic, a resident of the ethnically divided northern town of Kosovska Mitrovica.Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership kept details of Sunday's ceremony under wraps, but Thaci was to meet with the parliament speaker at midmorning to formallyrequest a special session. A declaration of independence would be read out in the chamber, where the proceedings were to be broadcast live on television, andlawmakers would be asked to adopt it.The speaker, Jakup Krasniqi, would then proclaim Kosovo independent from Serbia, and lawmakers would vote on the new nation's flag and crest.The Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra planned to play Beethoven's ''Ode to Joy'' at a sports hall, where top leaders would gather for speeches and toasts. Theyplanned to sign their names on giant iron letters spelling out ''NEWBORN'' to be displayed in downtown Pristina, the capital.Fireworks and an outdoor concert were scheduled for later in the evening.Spontaneous street celebrations broke out for a second straight night Saturday, with giddy Kosovars waving red and black Albanian flags and sounding car horns.''This will be a joyful day,'' said Besnik Berisha, a Pristina resident. ''The town looks great, and the party should start.''Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 million people are ethnic Albanian -- most moderate or non-practicing Muslims, the rest Roman Catholics -- and they see no reason tostay joined to the rest of Christian Orthodox Serbia.With Russia, a staunch Serbian ally, determined to block the bid, Kosovo looked to the U.S. and key European powers for swift recognition of its status as thecontinent's newest nation. That recognition was likely to come Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium.Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that independence without U.N. approval would set a dangerous precedent for ''frozen conflicts'' across the former SovietUnion and around the world, pressured the Security Council to intervene.Serbia's government ruled out any military response as part of a secret ''action plan'' drafted earlier this week as a response, but warned that it would downgraderelations with any foreign government that recognizes Kosovo's independence.------Associated Press Writers William J. Kole in Pristina, Dusan Stojanovic in Kosovska Mitrovica and Slobodan Lekic in Belgrade contributed to this report.
Russia warns of Kosovo repercussions
Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:29am ESTBy Christian LoweMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday international recognition of Kosovo would influence its policy towards the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but it did not say if it would recognize them.Kosovo is expected to unilaterally declare independence from Serbia on Sunday and then be recognized by the United States and most members of the European Union. Russia backs its ally Serbia in opposing the move.Russian officials have linked Kosovo's status to Georgia's separatist regions, saying any recognition of the Serbian province as an independent state would create a legal precedent that would be followed by others."We will, without doubt, have to take into account a declaration and recognition of Kosovo independence in connection with the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.The statement, posted on the ministry's Internet site .......made no mention of whether Russia would grant recognition to the two regions.Earlier, Interfax news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying Russia would change its policy on the breakaway regions if Kosovo was recognized. It later amended its report, removing the reference to a change in policy.The statement on the Internet site said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had talks on Friday with Abkhazia's separatist leader Sergei Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity, president of South Ossetia's separatist administration.Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from ex-Soviet Georgia in fighting in the 1990s. Some observers have said Russia might grant them recognition in response to Western states recognizing Kosovo.Russia already provides financial aid to both regions and the majority of residents hold Russian passports. Moscow has peacekeeping troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.Russia has stopped short of granting the regions recognition because, analysts say, it fears that could encourage its own separatists.President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described recognition for Kosovo as "immoral and illegal" and said he had a plan on how to respond if Western states back Kosovo's independence.He did not disclose any details of the plan but he said Russia would not "ape" the Western recognition of Kosovo, a signal that Russia's response would not involve Moscow recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia.(Writing by Christian Lowe; editing by Elizabeth Piper)