February 16, 2009
5:42pm
A year after its declared independence, Kosovo finds itself struggling with ethnic violence. Kosovo, which holds an Albanian majority, broke off from Serbia last year and declared independence after years of war and conflict with US and UN intervention. Kosovo still experiences violence near the borders with Serbia and rates of crime and corruption are high. Unemployment is also quite high as nearly 4 in 10 are jobless, and the number of countries recognizing Kosovo’s statehood is quite low. However, for some individuals, Kosovo’s first year as an independent nation has been positive, overall. Roads, schools, and businesses have been built and flourished. For many, there has been more economic growth (6%) than while Kosovo was a part of Serbia, despite the global recession. For ethnic Albanians, life is quite good. However, many of the Serbs living in the country state that persecution and harassment are still common occurrences.
In terms of an independent ethnic Albanian state, it would seem that Kosovo has done quite well for itself since its declaration of independence on Feb. 17, 2008. Considering the years of ethnic clash, which peaked during the genocides occurring in both Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990’s under Milosevic and others, life in Kosovo seems better for ethnic Albanians. However, the violence still occurring with ethnic Serbs in Kosovo seems troubling to me. While this conflict has been long-standing enough to not go away with a new state line, it would also seem that while the state was prospering, ethnic divisions could be minimized for the sake of the new nation’s growth. I also find it troubling that many countries involved in proxy wars with others in the region don’t recognize Kosovo’s statehood, which can influence ethnic violence within the region because of the economic and strategic interests of those outside of the region.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmo0uIR7EAe15gq9eq8qs-PJ2_yAD96CNPFO0
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