Word: kosovo
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...dithering can't go on forever. Kosovo Albanians, who make up more than 90% of the province's population, were calling for independence even before NATO planes forced Serbian security forces out of the province in 1999. U.N. administrators and an estimated 16,000 peacekeepers in Kosovo fear a repeat of the violent riots of March 2004 aimed at minority Serbs and Roma. Kosovar Prime Minister Agim Ceku has warned that the region may declare independence unilaterally if the deadlock persists. "I don't expect any major unrest this summer", says Agron Bajrami, editor of Koha Ditore, a Pristina daily...
They have brought the fireworks to celebrate their first Independence Day, but Kosovo Albanians' dreams of freedom from Serbia are again being deferred. U.S. and European attempts to pass a U.N. Security Council resolution to clear the way for the province's "supervised independence" are foundering on stiff opposition from Serbia and, more important, Russia. A Bush-Putin summit earlier this month failed to make progress on the issue. U.S. officials now say the U.N. resolution once promised for early 2007 may not come until 2008. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned that further delay could "unravel" Kosovo...
...have failed. Now, despite promises this spring that the plan would be approved in May, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Dan Fried has told Kosovar leaders that they may now have to wait until 2008 before their dream is fulfilled. Nor is that a sure thing. Kosovo's Prime Minister and former rebel commander Agim Ceku barely contained his frustration. He demanded an "exact calendar, an exact date and a clear way forward" on the question. "We prefer a diplomatic road," he said earlier. "But if we do not see hope, certainty, any efforts, we will...
...Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, who make up more than 90% of the province's population, have been pushing for full independence from Serbia since NATO bombers ousted Serb security forces from the province back in 1999. The ethnic violence and resulting NATO action saw some 10,000 deaths, including military casualties. Earlier this year, U.S. and European leaders said they hoped to win U.N. security council approval for a "supervised independence" plan by May. Under the plan, drawn up by the Finnish envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, the province will cease to be a part of Serbia but will still fall under...
...result, some Kosovo Albanians are demanding that the country unilaterally declare independence. U.N. administrators and the estimated 16,000 peacekeepers in the province fear a repeat of deadly riots in March 2004 that targeted foreigners (as well as minority Serbs and their monuments) if full independence is put off too long. For now the U.S. is telling Kosovo Albanians that their time will come. They are urging Serbian leaders to give up their opposition to the plan in exchange for accelerating membership talks to enter the European Union (Serbia wants to grant the province autonomy but not full independence.) European...