Avoiding conflict in the Balkans, in places like the Preshevo Valley, requires reconciliation and recognizing historical facts. Reconciliation also means accepting each-others’ heroes.
TIRANA, Jan. 24 – The removal of a monument commemorating fallen Albanian guerrillas in southern Serbia by a military-like Serb special police operation has reopened old wounds in a part of the Balkans that has still to come to terms with its past.
The commemorative slab was erected by the local municipality council to commemorate 27 ethnic Albanian fighters killed in 2000, in an insurgency aimed at uniting the Albanian-dominated Preshevo Valley with neighboring Kosovo, which split from Serbia after a brutal war and international intervention in 1999. Belgrade said the council decision was illegal. The men had been enemies of the Serb state, authorities said, and the memorial was a provocation by the local ethnic Albanian authorities.
This is a typical former Yugoslav ethnic strife scenario that has led to a lot of conflict in the Balkans. However, to fully understand the latest events in the Preshevo Valley in 2013, one must look at several things.
First, there is a local in context, and it deals with the actual situation of the ethnic Albanian community in the valley. It faces an unequal economic situation with the rest of Serbia which shows the type of attention the Serb state has for that region, where the majority of the population is ethnic Albanian. Belgrade has focused on building military bases instead improving the daily lives of the Albanians, who clearly feel marginalized. Under these conditions, when the economy is bad, joblessness high and life insecure, it is easy for citizens to turn to notions such as pride in national flags and heroes and patriotism for comfort. And that is what is happening in the Preshevo Valley today.
The second issue here deals with the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, in the context of Serb talks with Kosovo, in particular with the of northern areas of Kosovo, which have Serb-majority population and are de-facto out of Prishtina’s control. Some argue Serbia is increasing tensions in the Preshevo Valley so an exchange deal can be worked out to partition Kosovo. This is something both Kosovo and the international community are against.
However, what’s happening here needs to also be seen in the the political and philosophical aspect as an issue of a missing reconciliation. There is a general belief that the wars are over in the Balkans. However, conflicts like that of Preshevo and similar incidents elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia are a reminder that the process of reconciliation has not yet taken place.
Look at how much political and financial energy Serbia still expends toward Kosovo — which even the most nationalistic among the Serbs at this point must realize that it is an independent state and it is never going back to be part of Serbia.
To end all conflict properly, such process must take place.
This requires dealing with the past, and recognizing what has happened. Serbia in particular has not done this — and Serbia should be the first to do so.
In the Preshevo Valley context, reconciliation means that we must acknowledge each other’s heroes
Last, but not least, we should keep our eye on the fact that the spirit of populism and nationalism is making a come back in the Balkans, where many political parties are increasing their nationalist rhetoric to win votes. This is a good way to divert attention from the real problems citizens of these countries face and manipulate them into blaming others for their ills.
At the end of the day, avoiding conflict in the Balkans, in places like the Preshevo Valley, requires reconciliation and recognizing historical facts. Going after symbols of pride of another ethnicity makes it clear Belgrade’s mood is yet to change.
