KOSOVO: REPEATING HISTORY?

Hindsight is easy; however, most international observers and many Kosovars themselves had been warning that unless some intervention by international forces occurred, hostilities would erupt. The timeline below describes the major events that preceded the current crisis. In your opinion, when were the warning signs most obvious? As you read this information, try to determine the most important turning points in the history of Kosovo that created the current conflict between Serbs and Kosovars. Be prepared to explain your decisions.

1989 Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic takes away Kosovo’s autonomy. Kosovars are no longer in charge of their own government. Street violence begins, and more than 20 people are killed.

1990 In February, Yugoslavia sends troops, tanks, and 2000 more police to Kosovo. In July, ethnic Albanian legislators declare independence for the province, but Serbia dissolves the Kosovo Assembly.

1991 Neighbouring Albania recognizes Kosovo as an independent republic.

1992 In May, Professor Ibrahim Rugova is elected president of Kosovo after an election is held in defiance of Serbian authorities.

1993 More than 30 ethnic Albanians are arrested on suspicion of preparing an armed uprising.

1995 Sixty ethnic Albanians are sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly setting up an independent police force.

1996 A separatist group, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), emerges for the first time and claims responsibility for a series of bomb attacks against the Serbian authorities.

1997 In September, armed men attack police stations in 10 Kosovo towns and villages.

1998 In January, a Serb politician is killed in retaliation for the killing of an ethnic Albanian by police. In February and March, Serbian police move into the Drenica region and burn villages where suspected Albanian separatists live. Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova demands outright independence for Kosovo. In May, U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke begins his diplomatic involvement in the region, inviting Yugoslav President Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova to hold peace talks. In September, the Serbian army continues to attack villages in the Drenica region of the province. NATO takes the first formal steps toward military intervention in Kosovo. Heavy fighting continues despite Serbian assurances that the offensive is over. In October, international workers are advised to leave the area as NATO prepares for air strikes. Milosevic signs the Belgrade Agreement and agrees to withdraw Serbian troops from Kosovo, averting the immediate prospect of NATO air strikes.