Who, What, When, Where and Why?

http://www.nato.int/kosovo/history.htm

 

The country of Kosovo was once part of the southern part of Serbia.  The majority of the population is of Albanian descent and is of Muslim heritage.  The area was largely autonomous until 1989 when the results of the dictatorship of Slobodan Milosevic would forever alter the region by bringing under control of the Serbian capital of Belgrade.  I read the historical overview done by NATO which said this of the conflict, “During 1998, open conflict between Serbian military and police forces and Kosovar Albanian forces resulted in the death of over 1500 Kosovar Albanians and forced 400,000 people from their homes.”  These numbers seem relatively small when compared to other wars, but what has to be considered is lingering stigma of having to recreate themselves when they truly were not an independent country in the first place.  The war destroyed so much of the infrastructure and the physical damage was severe.  What we consider to be primitive by today’s standards is considered luxury by the people of Kosovo.  Can you imagine the issues of a population struggling to emerge from the atrocities of the war in order to regain a sense of normalcy? 

 

 

Here are some startling figures from NATO:

 

·         Between March 1998 and March 1999, before NATO governments decided upon military action, over 2000 people were killed as a result of the Serb government's policies in Kosovo.

·         During the summer of 1998, a quarter of a million Kosovar Albanians were forced from their homes as their houses, villages and crops were destroyed.

·         In January 1999, evidence was discovered, by a United Nations humanitarian team, of the massacre of over 40 people in the village of Racak.

·         By the beginning of April 1999, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimated that the campaign of ethnic cleansing had resulted in 226,000 refugees in Albania, 125,000 in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and 33,000 in Montenegro.

·         Assistance given by NATO forces to alleviate the refugee situation included providing equipment and building camps to house 50,000 refugees in Albania; assistance in expanding camps in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; providing medical support and undertaking emergency surgery on the victims of shootings by Serb forces; transporting refugees to safety; and providing transport for humanitarian aid and supplies.

·         By the end of May 1999, over 230,000 refugees had arrived in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, over 430,000 in Albania and some 64,000 in Montenegro. Approximately 21,500 had reached Bosnia and over 61,000 had been evacuated to other countries. Within Kosovo itself, an estimated 580,000 people had been rendered homeless.

·         It is estimated that by the end of May, 1.5 million people, i.e. 90% of the population of Kosovo, had been expelled from their homes. Some 225,000 Kosovar men were believed to be missing. At least 5000 Kosvars had been executed.

·         NATO forces have flown in many thousands of tons of food and equipment into the area. By the end of May 1999, over 4666 tons of food and water, 4325 tons of other goods, 2624 tons of tents and nearly 1600 tons of medical supplies had been transported to the area.