Pre-Crisis Phase (November 29, 1968-March 10, 1981): Kosovo nationalists demonstrated against the Yugoslav government on November 29, 1968.
Crisis Phase (March 11, 1981-February 27, 1998): Some 2,000 Kosovo nationalists demonstrated against the Yugoslav government in Pristina, Kosovo on March 11-April 1, 1981, resulting in the deaths of eight ethnic-Albanian demonstrators and one Serbian government policemen. Some 140 demonstrators were arrested and sentenced to prison terms. The Yugoslav government declared a state-of-emergency on April 3, 1981. The Yugoslav government accused Albania of supporting the demonstrations, and issued a formal protest to the Albania government on May 14, 1981. Albania rejected the protest on May 15, 1981. On October 22, 1981, an ethnic-Albanian was executed for the murder of a Serb government policeman in Kosovo. Yugoslavia accused the government of Albania of supporting Albanian nationalists in Kosovo, and formally protested its interference in Kosovo on December 7, 1981. An Albanian nationalist killed two Serbian government policemen in western Kosovo on April 2, 1983, and the Albanian nationalist was sentenced to death on August 11, 1983. Some 17,000 Serbs and Montenegrins demonstrated in Pristina against Albanian nationalism on August 29, 1988. The government proclaimed a state-of-emergency, and deployed government troops in Kosovo on February 27, 1989. Ethnic-Albanians demonstrated against the Serbian government in the Kosovo province on March 23-31, 1989, resulting in the deaths of some 30 individuals. The Serbian parliament approved a new constitution that ended Kosovo’s autonomous status in March 1989 (Serbians approved the constitution in a referendum on July 1, 1990). Kosovo Albanians demonstrated against the Serbian government on January 24-February 2, 1990, resulting in the deaths of some 30 individuals. The Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo’s independence from Serbia on July 2, 1990, and Serbia dissolved the Kosovo Assembly on July 5, 1990. On May 20, 1991, the US imposed economic sanctions (suspension of economic assistance) against the Yugoslav government as a result of human rights abuses against Albanians in Kosovo. Albania provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to the Kosovo nationalists on October 22, 1991. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance in Kosovo in 1992. On August 14, 1992, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) established the 20-personnel OSCE Missions of Long Duration in Kosovo, Sandjak, and Vojvodina to promote dialogue between Serbian officials and ethnic-Albanians in the three regions, and to monitor human rights conditions in the three regions. The OSCE Missions of Long Duration in Kosovo, Sandjak, and Vojvodina was disbanded on June 28, 1993. Drago Soskic, the Serbian police chief in Lujubizda, was killed by an ethnic-Albanian on May 3, 1995. The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) headed by Adem Jashari was established in Kosovo in 1996. A Serbian government police officer was killed in Donje Ljupce on August 29, 1996. On July 15, 1997, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Serbia for the detention and sentencing of 15 ethnic-Albanians to prison terms for terrorist activities. KLA rebels ambushed government policemen near the village of Llaushe (Lausa) on November 25-26, 1997, resulting in the deaths of two policemen. A Serbian government policeman and a KLA rebel were killed in Reznic on November 27, 1997. KLA rebels killed a Serbian government official on January 23, 1998. On January 29, 1998, the Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly condemned the Yugoslav government for its repression of ethnic-Albanians in Kosovo. Some 500 individuals were killed during the crisis.
Conflict Phase (February 28, 1998-October 13, 1998): Serbian government police clashed with KLA rebels near Likoshan (Likosan) on February 28-March 1, 1998, resulting in the deaths of four government policemen and several rebels. KLA rebels killed four Serbian government policemen near Glogovac. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to individuals displaced beginning in February 1998. The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly appealed for peaceful negotiations on March 2, 1998. Serbian government policemen and KLA rebels clashed in Prekaz on March 5-6, 1998, resulting in the deaths of some ethnic-Albanians. Several thousand ethnic-Albanians demonstrated against the Serbian government in Pristina on March 9, 1998. On March 11, 1998, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) expanded the OSCE Presence in Albania to include 30 monitors for the Albania-Kosovo border, in order to observe and report on movements of ethnic Albanian rebels across the border region. The governments of the U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Canada, and Germany imposed military sanctions (arms embargo) against the Yugoslav government on March 11, 1998. The European Union (EU) imposed military sanctions (arma embargo) against the government on March 19, 1998. The United Nations (UN) Security Council imposed military sanctions (arms embargo) against the Yugoslav government on March 31, 1998. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) appealed for peaceful negotiations on April 10, 1998. Amnesty International (AI) appealed for a cessation of military hostilities in Kosovo on April 29, 1998. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council condemned the Yugoslav government for “excessive use of force” in Kosovo, and appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on April 30, 1998. The EU imposed economic sanctions (flight ban) against the government on June 29, 1998. The governments of the U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Canada, and Germany imposed economic sanctions (assets freeze) against the Yugoslav government on May 9, 1998. Sadako Ogata, the head of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), appealed for a ceasefire on June 11, 1998. KLA rebels killed two Serbian government policemen on July 12, 1998, and Serbian government troops killed seven KLA rebels near Junik on July 27, 1998. Serbian government troops captured Likovac, Junik, and Glodjane on August 7-15, 1998, resulting in the deaths of ten Serbian government policemen. Some 1,700 NATO troops from 14 countries engaged in military exercises in Albania on August 17-21, 1998 (the show of force was reportedly directed against the Serbian government). Danilo Turk, president of the UN Security Council, appealed for a ceasefire and negotiations on August 24, 1998, but Serbian government police continued their offensive against the KLA. Serbian security forces and KLA rebels engaged in military hostilities near Orahovac on September 3, 1998. European Union (EU) foreign ministers imposed economic sanctions (flight ban) against the Yugoslav government on September 7, 1998. The UN Security Council demanded a ceasefire and appealed for negotiations on September 23, 1998. On September 24, 1998, NATO warned President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia that a failure to end the violence in Kosovo would result in NATO air strikes. On October 2, 1998, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen warned the Yugoslav government of NATO air attacks if Serbian government troops did not withdraw from Kosovo. On October 2, 1998, the UN Security Council condemned the Yugoslav government for massacres of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. On October 5, 1998, HRW condemned the Yugoslav government for atrocities against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. On October 9, 1998, HRW condemned the Yugoslav government for obstructing the war crimes investigation by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in Kosovo. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, U..S. special envoy, mediated negotiations between the parties on October 9-13, 1998. The parties signed a ceasefire agreement on October 13, 1998. Some 2,000 individuals were killed, and some 25,000 individuals were displaced during the conflict.
Post-Conflict Phase (October 14, 1998-January 8, 1999): Representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Yugoslav government signed an agreement on October 16, 1998, which provided for the deployment of an OSCE verification mission in Kosovo following the withdrawal of Yugoslav government troops from Kosovo. On October 24, 1998, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1203, which authorized the deployment of an OSCE ground verification mission and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) air verification mission in Kosovo. The OSCE established the Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) on October 25, 1998, which consisted of a maximum of 1,350 personnel from 38 countries headed by U.S. Ambassador William Walker. Serbian government troops withdrew from Kosovo on October 27, 1998. NATO launched the NATO Kosovo Verification Mission-KVM, also known as Operation Eagle Eye, on October 30, 1998. The NATO KVM consisted of aircraft and personnel from Britain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the US. In support of the NATO KVM and OSCE KVM missions, NATO established the Kosovo Verification Coordination Centre (KVCC) in Macedonia on November 26, 1998. The KVCC consisted of personnel from nine NATO countries (Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, and the U.S.) commanded by Brig. General David Montgomery of Britain. The OSCE foreign ministers appealed for a cessation of hostilities on December 3, 1998. NATO foreign ministers appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on December 8, 1998.
Conflict Phase (January 9, 1999-June 10, 1999): Yugoslav government troops and KLA rebels resumed military hostilities on January 9, 1999. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) KVM monitors discovered the bodies of 45 ethnic Albanians massacred in Racak in southern Kosovo on January 15, 1999. The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly condemned Serbia for the massacre in Racak on January 18, 1999. The UN Security Council condemned Serbia for the massacre in Racak on January 19, 1999. The President of the European Union (EU) condemned Serbia for the massacre in Racak on January 20, 1999. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned Serbia for the massacre in Racak on January 21, 1999. World Vision International (WVI) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance in Kosovo from January 22 to March 21, 1999. On February 1, 1999, the government of the United Arab Emirates condemned the Serbian government for violence against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek of Norway, Chairman of the OSCE, appealed for peaceful negotiations on February 4, 1999. The Contact Group for the Kosovo conflict (including representatives of the U.S., Russia, France, Britain, Italy, and Germany) hosted negotiations between Yugoslav government and KLA representatives in Rambouillet, France from February 6 to March 19, 1999. KLA representatives signed the Contact Group-mediated autonomy agreement on March 18, 1999, which provided for the deployment of NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, but the Yugoslav representatives refused to sign the agreement. The OSCE KVM was withdrawn from Kosovo on March 20, 1999, and the NATO KVM was ended on March 24, 1999. U.S. Special Envoy, Amb. Richard Holbrooke, unsuccessfully attempted to convince the Yugoslav government to sign the Rambouillet Agreement on March 22-23, 1999. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) suspended its mission in Pristina, Kosovo on March 23, 1999. NATO began military attacks against strategic and military targets in Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999, and the Yugoslav government severed diplomatic relations with the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany on March 25, 1999. The Japanese government condemned the government of Yugoslavia (Serbia) for its refusal to sign the peace agreement on March 25, 1999. The Rio Group (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Guyana) appealed for peaceful negotiations between the parties on March 25, 1999. On March 26, 1999, the UN Security Council rejected a Russian-sponsored resolution that would have demanded an end to NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and the resumption of negotiations regarding Kosovo. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) withdrew its mission from Kosovo on March 28, 1999. The ICRC mission withdrew from Kosovo on March 29, 1999. The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) established a mission headed by Gail Long of the US to provided humanitarian assistance to Kosovo refugees beginning on March 30, 1999. Wolfgang Petritsch of Austria was appointed as EU Special Representative (EUSR) to Kosovo on March 30, 1999, and he served as EUSR-Kosovo until July 29, 1999. The World Council of Churches (WCC) appealed for a cessation of hostilities on March 31, 1999. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to Kosovar refugees in Albania beginning on April 4, 1999. On April 7, 1999, Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad of Bangladesh condemned the Yugoslav government for its atrocities against Kosovo Albanians. On April 12, 1999, Saudi Arabia condemned the Yugoslav government for its aggression against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. NATO foreign ministers condemned the Yugoslav government for human rights violations on April 12, 1999. On April 16, 1999, NATO established the Albania Force-AFOR (“Operation Allied Harbour”) to provide humanitarian assistance to more than 200,000 ethnic Albanian refugees that had already fled from Kosovo to Albania (more than 475,000 ethnic Albanians would eventually flee to Albania). AFOR consisted of some 7,500 military personnel from 17 NATO countries and seven non-NATO countries commanded by Lt. General John Reith of Britain. Three Refugees International (RI) personnel, who were part of a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to Kosovar refugees, were killed in an automobile accident in Albania on April 18, 1999. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) provided humanitarian assistance to Kosovo refugees on April 18, 1999. The EU imposed economic sanctions (oil embargo) against the Yugoslav government on May 1, 1999. Iraq expressed its support for the Yugoslav government on April 27, 1999. The Yugoslav government filed lawsuits in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the US and other NATO countries for the bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. The UN secretary-general appointed Carl Bildt of Sweden and Eduard Kukan of Slovakia as UN special envoys to Kosovo on May 7, 1999. The ICRC mission consisting of 100 international personnel and 400 local personnel returned to Kosovo on May 24, 1999. President Milosevic of Yugoslavia, President Milutonovic of Serbia, and three other Serbian government officials were indicted for war crimes in the Kosovo province by the ICTY on May 27, 1999. On June 2, 1999, the ICJ ruled that it did not have the jurisdiction to order an end to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia. President Milosevic and the Serbian parliament approved a peace proposal mediated by EU special envoy, Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, and Russian special envoy, Viktor Chernomyrdin on June 3, 1999. The OSCE Permanent Council formally disbanded the OSCE KVM on June 9, 1999. Yugoslav troops and police began their withdrawal from Kosovo on June 10, 1999. NATO suspended the bombing campaign against Yugoslavia on June 10, 1999. Some 16,200 individuals, including 10,000 ethnic Albanians, 1,200 Serbian civilians, and 5,000 Serbian government soldiers, were killed during the conflict. Some 850,000 individuals fled as refugees during the conflict.
Post-Conflict Phase (June 11, 1999-present): The UN Security Council authorized the establishment of an international peacekeeping force for Kosovo on June 10, 1999, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deployed a peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) on June 12, 1999. At maximum strength, KFOR consisted of some 50,000 military personnel from 39 different NATO and non-NATO countries, including the United Kingdom (19,000), Germany (8,500), France (7,000), United States (7,000), Italy (5,000), and the Netherlands (3,600). General Mike Jackson of the UK commanded KFOR from June 12 to October 8, 1999. On June 10, 1999, the UN Security Council authorized the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to maintain law and order, provide security for returning refugees, and civil administration. UNMIK consisted of a maximum of 4,519 civilian police personnel from 49 countries commanded by Commissioner Sven Fredericksen of Denmark and 1,178 international civilian personnel headed by UN Special Representative and Head of UNMIK, Bernard Kouchner from France. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Sergio Vieira de Mello of Brazil as acting-special representative for Kosovo on June 11, 1999. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) deployed a mission consisting of 332 personnel to provide humanitarian assistance in Kosovo beginning in June 1999. The UNHCR established a mission consisting of 30 personnel headed by Dennis McNamara to provide humanitarian assistance to ethnic-Albanian refugees in Kosovo on June 13, 1999. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) resumed humanitarian assistance in Kosovo on June 14, 1999. WVI resumed humanitarian assistance in Kosovo on June 14, 1999. The American Refugee Committee (ARC) established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance to ethnic-Albanian refugees in Kosovo beginning on June 15, 1999. Yugoslav government troops and police completed their withdrawal from Kosovo on June 20, 1999. Some 250,000 ethnic-Serbians fled as refugees from the Kosovo province between June 1999 and July 2000. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Bernard Koucher of France as special representative for Kosovo on July 2, 1999. On July 1, 1999, the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) established the OSCE Mission in Kosovo to monitor and promote human rights in Kosovo, as well as to support democratic institutions and good governance in Kosovo. At maximum strength, the OSCE mission consisted of some 450 international personnel and 1,050 local personnel. On July 25, 1999, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek of Norway, chairman of the OSCE, condemned the recent killing of 14 Serbs in the village of Gracko in Kosovo. Japan provided reconstruction assistance to the government between October 1999 and September 2002. NATO’s Albania Force-AFOR was disbanded on August 31, 1999. EU foreign ministers suspended economic sanctions (ban on commercial flights) against the Yugoslav government on February 14, 2000. The COE sent 19 long-term observers and 100 short-term observers headed by Victor Ruffy of Switzerland to monitor local elections beginning on July 21, 2000. The EU lifted economic sanctions (oil embargo and flight ban) against the Yugoslav government on October 9, 2000. The US lifted economic sanctions (oil embargo and ban on commercial flights) against the Yugoslav government on October 12, 2000. The UN Security Council lifted military sanctions (arms embargo) against the Yugoslav government on September 10, 2001. Parliamentary elections were held on November 17, 2001, and the Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës-LDK) headed by Ibrahim Rugova won 47 out of 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly sent 60 observers from 20 countries to monitor the parliamentary elections. Municipal elections were held on October 26, 2002. Mayor Uke Bytyci of Suva Reka was killed on October 27, 2002. Three ethnic Serbs were killed in Obilic on June 14, 2003. Twenty-eight individuals were killed, and some 3,000 individuals were displaced in ethnic violence in Kosovo on March 15-18, 2004. A UN police officer and a local Kosovo policeman were ambushed and killed in the village of Luzane on March 24, 2004. Parliamentary elections were held in Kosovo on October 24, 2004, and the Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës-LDK) won 47 out of 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës-PDK) won 30 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The COE sent 14 long-term observers and 100 short-term observers to monitor the elections from July 15 to October 24, 2004. Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës-AAK) was elected prime minister by the Kosovo Assembly on December 3, 2004. On March 8, 2005, Prime Minister Haradinaj was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) located in The Hague, Netherlands. Prime Minister Haradinaj resigned and surrendered himself to the ICTY in The Hague on March 9, 2005. Bajram Kosumi of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Aleanca për Ardhmërinë e Kosovës-AAK) was elected prime minister by the Kosovo Assembly on March 23, 2005. The UN Security Council approved Martti Ahtisaari of Finland as Special Envoy (Mediator) for Kosovo on November 10, 2005, and Martti Ahtisaari was formally appointed by the UN secretary-general on November 14, 2005. President Ibrahim Rugova died on lung cancer on January 21, 2006. Fatmir Sejdiu of the Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës-LDK) was elected president by the Kosovo Assembly on February 10, 2006. Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi resigned on March 1, 2006, and Agim Ceku was elected as prime minister by the Kosovo Assembly on March 10, 2006. On September 1, 2006, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Joachim Rücker of Germany as UN Special Representative for Kosovo. Two individuals were killed in clashes between ethnic Albanians and local police in Pristina on February 10-11, 2007. UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari ended his mediation efforts on July 31, 2007. The EU, U.S., and Russia mediated negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo from August 10 to December 7, 2007. Parliamentary elections were held on November 17, 2007, and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës-PDK) won 37 out of 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës-LDK) won 25 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The Council of Europe (COE) sent 10 election experts, 14 long-term observers, and 150 short-term observers from 34 countries headed by Giovanni Di Stasi from Italy to monitor the parliamentary elections from October 1 to November 30, 2007. Hashim Thaci of the PDK was elected prime minister of a coalition government by the Kosovo Assembly on January 9, 2008. The Council of the European Union appointed Pieter Feith from the Netherlands as EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Kosovo on February 4, 2008, and he served as EUSR-Kosovo until April 30, 2011. On February 16, 2008, the Council of the EU approved the establishment of a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo to assist and support the rule of law in Kosovo. The Republic of Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. The US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Turkey provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to the Kosovo government on February 18, 2008. A UN police officer from Ukraine was killed during clashes with ethnic Serbs in Mitrovica on March 18, 2008. Former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj was acquitted of charged of war crimes at the ICTY in The Hague on April 3, 2008. The Kosovo Assembly adopted a new constitution on April 9, 2008, and the new constitution went into effect on June 15, 2008. Kosovo Serbs inaugurated their own 45-member Assembly in Mitrovica on June 28, 2008. On October 9, 2008, the UN General Assembly voted to refer Kosovo’s declaration of independence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion. On November 27, 2008, the UN Security Council approved a plan to turn over security duties to a EU force. On December 9, 2008, the EU deployed a police, customs, and judicial mission (EULEX) to strengthen the rule of law in Kosovo. At maximum strength, EULEX consisted of some 1,950 EU personnel, including 1,700 EU police officers, from 32 countries (including Turkey, Norway, Canada, and the US) and 1,250 local staff headed by Yves de Kermabon of France. Local elections were held on November 15 and December 13, 2009. The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) sent seven election experts, 12 long-term observers, and 106 short-term observers headed by Darko Aleksov of Macedonia to monitor the local elections from October 12 to December 14, 2009. One individual was killed in a bombing in Mitrovica on July 2, 2010. On July 22, 2010, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion stating that Kosovo’s declaration of independence was not illegal under international law. The Serbian government rejected the ICJ’s advisory opinion. On September 9, 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. On September 27, 2010, President Sejdiu resigned following a court ruling that he had violated the constitution by also serving as a leader of a political party. Jakup Krasniqi, Chairman of the Kosovo Assembly, served as Acting President from September 28, 2010 to February 22, 2010. Xavier Bout de Marnhac of France took over as Head of EULEX on October 15, 2010. Prime Minister Thaci’s government lost a vote of no-confidence in the Kosovo Assembly on November 2, 2010. Sefko Salkovic, a local Bosnian Muslim leader, was killed in the town of Leposavic in northern Kosovo on December 8, 2010. Parliamentary elections were held on December 12, 2010, January 9, 2011, and January 23, 2011. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës – PDK) won 34 out of 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly, and the Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës – LDK) won 27 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) sent seven election experts, 12 long-term observers, and 188 short-term observers headed by Zlatko Vujovic of Montenegro to monitor the parliamentary elections from November 21 to December 13, 2010. The European Union (EU) sent a three-person Election Expert Mission (EEM) to Kosovo on November 19-December 16, 2010, January 6-12, 2011, and January 21-27, 2011. The European Parliament (EP) sent seven observers headed by Doris Pack from Germany to monitor the parliamentary elections on December 10-13, 2010 and January 7-10, 2010. On February 22, 2011, Behgjet Pacolli of the New Kosovo Alliance (Aleanca Kosova e Re – AKR) was elected president by a vote of 62 to 5 in the Kosovo Assembly. Fifty-three members of the Kosovo Assembly boycotted the presidential election. Hashim Thaci was re-elected as prime minister by the Kosovo Assembly on February 22, 2011. Representatives of the Serbian government and Kosovo government met in Brussels, Belgium for EU-facilitated talks on March 8-9, 2011. On March 31, 2011, President Pacollo submitted his resignation following a ruling by the Constitutional Court that his election was unconstitutional. Jakup Krasniqi, Chairman of the Kosovo Assembly, served as Acting President from April 4-7, 2011. Atifete Jahjaga, an independent politician, was elected president by the Kosovo Assembly on April 7, 2011. Fernando Gentilini of Italy was appointed as EU Special Representative (EUSR) to Kosovo on May 1, 2011, and he served as EUSR-Kosovo until September 1, 2011. On July 27, 2011, ethnic Serbs attacked a police station in northern Kosovo, resulting in the death of one ethnic Albanian policeman. NATO peacekeeping troops clashed with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo on September 27, 2011, resulting in injuries to 16 ethnic Serbs and four NATO peacekeeping soldiers. Ethnic Albanians and ethnic Serbs clashed in Mitrovica on November 10, 2011, resulting in the death of one ethnic Serb. In January 25, 2012, the Council of the EU appointed Samuel Žbogar of Slovenia as EU Special Representative (EUSR) to Kosovo. On February 14-15, 2012, ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo held a referendum on whether or not to recognize the Kosovo government in Pristina (some 99 percent voted not to recognize the government in Pristina). Both the Serbian government and the Kosovo government rejected the results of the referendum. The prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo met for EU-mediated talks in Brussels on October 19, 2012. Former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj was acquitted of charges of war crimes in a retrial at the ICTY in The Hague on November 29, 2012. Some 250,000 individuals have been displaced as a result of political violence since June 1999. As of December 31, 2012, 36 UNMIK personnel (as well as 18 local staff members) and 168 KFOR peacekeeping personnel have been killed during the missions in Kosovo. The EU mediated negotiations between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo in Brussels, Belgium on February 6, 2013. The EU mediated an agreement, including the normalization of relations, between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo on April 19, 2013. Gunmen attacked two EULEX vehicles near Zvečan (Zveçan) on September 19, 2013, resulting in the death of one EULEX police officer. NATO Secretary-General Ander Fogh Rasmussen condemned the attack on the EULEX personnel. Two rounds of local elections were held on November 3 and December 1, 2013. The EU sent 99 observers from 30 countries to monitor the local elections from October 4 to December 2, 2013. The OSCE sent 240 observers (known as “facilitators”) to monitor the elections on November 3, 2013 and 110 observers to monitor the elections on December 1, 2013. On November 4, 2013, the EU and NATO condemned violence in North Mitrovica during the first round of local elections. The EU mediated negotiations between representatives of Serbia and Kosovo in Brussels, Belgium on November 6, 2013. On November 6, 2013, the Kosovo government decided to annul the election results in North Mitrovica and hold a re-run on November 17th. Krstmir Pantić, who was elected mayor of North Mitrovica, resigned after refusing to pledge loyalty to the Republic of Kosovo. Goran Rakić, a supporter of the Republic of Kosovo, was elected mayor of North Mitrovica in a special election held on February 23, 2014. On April 23, 2014, the Kosovo Assembly approved legislation creating a war crimes court to prosecute ethnic-Albanians for crimes committed during the Kosovo War. On May 7, 2014, the Kosovo Assembly voted to dissolve for early elections. Parliamentary elections were held on June 8, 2014, and the coalition led by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës – PDK) won 37 out of 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës – LDK) won 30 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The European Union (EU) sent 96 long-term and short-term observers from 28 countries to monitor the parliamentary elections from May 8 to June 9, 2014. A parliamentary candidate of the PDK was shot and killed in the town of Rahovec on June 15, 2014. Isa Mustafa of the LDK formed a coalition government with the PDK on December 8, 2014. UNMIK consisted of nine military liaison officers, eight civilian police personnel, and 111 international civilian personnel on October 31, 2014. UNMIK fatalities included one military observer, 26 civilian police personnel, and seven international civilian staff personnel.
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Selected Bibliography
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Crawford, Timothy W. 2001/2002. “Pivotal Deterrence and the Kosovo War: Why the Holbrooke Agreement Failed,” Political Science Quarterly, vol. 116 (4), pp. 499-523.
Koktsidis, Pavlos-Ioannis and Caspar Ten Dam. 2008. “A Success Story? Analysing Albanian Ethno-Nationalist Extremism in the Balkans,” East European Quarterly, . vol 42 (2), pp. 161-190.
Naumann, Klaus. 2002. “NATO, Kosovo, and Military Intervention,” Global Governance, vol. 8 (1), pp. 13-17.
Pond, Elizabeth. 2008. “The EU’s Test in Kosovo,” The Washington Quarterly, vol. 31 (4), pp. 97-112.
Roach, Steven C. 2005. “Humanitarian Coercion: Assessing the Strategic Role of Non-State Actors in the Kosovo War,” The International Journal of Human Rights,” vol. 9 (4), pp. 435-448.
Salla, Michael Emin. 1998. “Traveling the Full Circle: Serbia’s ‘Final Solution’ to the Kosovo Problem,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 18 (2), pp. 229-240.
Silander, Daniel. 2009. “The United Nations and Peace Building: Lessons from the UN Transitional Administrations in East Timor and Kosovo,” Social Alternatives, vol. 28 (2), pp. 23-28.
Steiner, Michael. 2003. “Seven Principles for Building Peace,” World Policy Journal, pp. 87-93.
Webber, Mark. 2009. “The Kosovo War: A Recapitulation,” International Affairs, vol. 85 (3), pp. 447-459.
Welch, Anthony Cleland. 2006. “Achieving Human Security after Intrastate Conflict: The Lessons of Kosovo,” Journal of Contemporary European Studies,” vol. 14 (2), pp. 221-239.
Yannis, Alexandros. 2004. “The UN as Government in Kosovo,” Global Governance, vol. 10 (1), pp. 67-81.
Zunes, Stephen. 1999. “NATO’s Rush to War in Yugoslavia,” Peace Review, vol. 11 (3), pp. 447-454.