Kosovo declares independence

18 Feb 2008, 6:52 am   -   Source: AFP/SBS
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Kosovo has declared its independence from Serbia, completing the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and sparking anger and violence in Belgrade.

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Kosovo has declared its independence completing the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and sparking anger and defiance in Belgrade and elsewhere.

Tens of thousands of flag waving people in central Pristina erupted in cheers as the Kosovo parliament formally voted to break from Serbia, which has vowed to never recognise the move.

"We are now an independent, free, sovereign and democratic country," announced Kosovo parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi.

But the jubilation gave way to violence as an explosion rocked the flashpoint northern town of Mitrovica -- which is divided between ethnic Albanians and Serbs -- echoing the deadly past of the volatile Balkans.

The blast occurred near a UN court and where a future mission of the European Union will be located.

Kosovo police had to stop several hundred former Serbian army reservists -- veterans of the 1998-99 Kosovo war -- from crossing into the territory ahead of the independence declaration.

Domino effect

The group, dressed in military uniforms, broke through a Serbian police cordon at the Merdare crossing before being held back.

On the eve of the declaration, the NATO-led peacekeeping Kosovo Force -- with 17,000 troops from 34 nations -- said it would intervene robustly to prevent any inter-ethnic violence.

While the United States and European Union are quickly expected to recognise the new state, Serbia has been given strong support by Russia which demanded an urgent UN Security Council meeting to "annul" the Kosovo
declaration.

Russia is Serbia's closest partner on the global stage and is mindful that Kosovo's independence might set a precedent in restive corners of its vast territory.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus warned that Kosovo's independence could have a domino effect on other separatist movements in Europe.

"Some parties in other states could realise that they do not feel completely at ease within a big state in which they are now," Klaus said in a television interview.

Brutal break-up

Serbia's President Boris Tadic said his country would never accept an independent Kosovo.

"Serbia has reacted and will react with all peaceful, diplomatic and legal means to annul this act committed by Kosovo's institutions," Tadic said in a statement.

Independence brings down the curtain on the long and brutal break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s that followed the demise of communism in Europe and witnessed the continent's worst atrocities since World War II.

About 10,000 people died in the 1998-1999 war as Serb forces tried to put down ethnic Albanian separatists. A NATO air war against late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic halted the conflict and Kosovo has since been under UN administration.

"We've been waiting for this day for such a long time," said Sherife Bajrami, a Pristina doctor. "We'll celebrate with dignity, with respect for minorities, for all to live happily in the land of Kosovo."

The declaration started a 120-day transition period and the deployment of a 2,000-strong European Union police and judicial team to help the transition.

Official recognition

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu called on "all the countries of the world" to recognise Kosovo's independence.

The European Union is split over independence. Britain, France, Germany and Italy are expected to officially give recognition on Monday.

Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Bulgaria have all opposed independence.

The breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia plan to ask Russia and the UN to recognise their independence following Kosovo's move, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted leaders in the two regions as saying.

Kosovo's constitution is expected to be based on a blueprint for "supervised independence" proposed by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari.

US support

Russia blocked the Ahtisaari plan at the United Nations and Kosovo's independence was declared without UN Security Council approval. The council was to meet again Sunday at Russia's demand, diplomats said.

The United States reaffirmed its strong backing for an independent Kosovo however.

"On Kosovo, our position is that its status must be resolved in order for the Balkans to be stable," US President George W. Bush said.

With an estimated unemployment rate of 40 percent and half its population under the age of 25, Kosovo will nevertheless remain highly dependent on massive infusions of Western economic aid.

An estimated 120,000 Serbs live in Kosovo, which is home to some of the most important shrines of the Serbian Orthodox faith. More than 220,000 others have left since 1999. Belgrade is imploring Serbs in Kosovo to stay put as an act of defiance.

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