Ethnic Identity and Humanitarian Intervention: The Case of Kosovo

Abstract

In this paper we look at the background of the Kosovo problem, its intensification since the 1980s in particular, the response of the international community leading finally to bombing. We also look at whether the international community was able to achieve its objective of preventing ethnic violence and cleansing. Yugoslavia had been a mosaic of ethnic groups with long histories of conflict but without segregated housing patterns. While the other ethnic groups feared Serbian domination in Yugoslavia where the Serbs were the largest ethnic group, the Serbs feared domination in the regions where they were in a minority. Ethnic conflict was aggravated by the economic crisis in the 80s which widened economic disparities, and also because of differences about the relative importance of the state and the market in economic management. The Serbs favoured a more controlled economy and the others a more liberal economy. The conflict in Kosovo flared up with the Serbs trying to limit Kosovar autonomy; the Kosovars retaliated by demanding greater autonomy initially and independence later. The resulting armed conflict led to considerable killing. The international community leaned heavily on the Serbs and their leader Milosevic to stop the repression, but failed. Ultimately the western countries had to resort to bombing. While this resulted in the capitulation by the Serbs, the problem was not solved as now the Kosovars started purging the Serbs. If the objective was to preserve a multi-ethnic Yugoslavia, the Western powers seemed to have failed.