Ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity Notes

Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity

1. Serbian crackdown (1998)
   1. Serbia treated the KLA as an insurgent threat and responded with brutal military crackdowns, including massacres and forced displacements.
2. Growing support and ethnic violence
   1. This repression fueled support for the KLA among Kosovar Albanians.
   2. Ethnic cleansing affected both Albanians and Serbs, with Serbian forces displacing civilians and KLA elements attacking Serbian villages and Orthodox sites.
3. Human rights abuses documented
   1. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reported widespread abuses by Serbian forces: extrajudicial killings, massacres, and mass displacement.
   2. HRW’s 1999 report Kosovo: The Evidence of Ethnic Cleansing estimated tens of thousands of civilians were killed or displaced.
   3. According to UN data, by early 1999 more than 200,000 Kosovar Albanians had been forcibly displaced.
4. KLA strategy and international engagement
   1. The KLA deliberately sought to provoke Serbian overreach to draw Western attention.
   2. After being ignored in the Dayton Accords (1995), the KLA concluded that violence was the only path to international engagement.
5. Shift from Rugova’s peaceful approach
   1. Peaceful efforts by leaders like Ibrahim Rugova were seen as ineffective and ignored internationally.
   2. The KLA adopted a militant strategy, believing violence was necessary to “force the hands” of Serbia, the international community, and Kosovo’s political leaders.
6. Targeting Serbian security forces
   1. The KLA attacked Serbian police and military positions, knowing reprisals would follow.
   2. This cycle of violence highlighted Serbian oppression and human rights abuses, making it harder for the West to ignore Kosovo.
7. KLA’s justification
   1. KLA leader Hashim Thaçi later declared that armed struggle was “a necessity to free and democratize Kosovo,” aimed at gaining legitimacy and international sympathy.
8. International recognition (1998)
   1. U.S. policy attention was briefly distracted by the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but pressure mounted as Richard Holbrooke held talks with both Milošević and the KLA, implicitly legitimizing the KLA.

Richard Holbrooke and International Diplomacy

1. Role of Richard Holbrooke
   1. Richard Holbrooke was a prominent U.S. diplomat, best known for his influential role in foreign policy in the Balkans.
   2. He was responsible for brokering the Dayton Accords in 1995.
2. Negotiations with Serbia and the KLA
   1. Amid escalating violence, Holbrooke was sent to Belgrade to negotiate with Slobodan Milosevic while also engaging with KLA representatives.
   2. These talks implicitly legitimized the KLA, shifting their status from a “terrorist” group to a recognized stakeholder.
   3. This approach frustrated Serbia but signaled growing Western commitment to addressing the Kosovo crisis.
3. UN Resolutions and International Pressure
   1. Atrocities, such as the Gornje Obrinje massacre (35 civilians killed), galvanized international opinion.
   2. The UN passed Resolution 1199 (Sept 1998), calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian access (without authorizing force).
   3. Previous resolutions, such as 1160, had already imposed an arms embargo on Yugoslavia.
4. Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM)
   1. Following Holbrooke–Milosevic talks, the KVM was created in October 1998 to monitor the ceasefire and oversee the withdrawal of Serbian forces.
   2. Led by William Walker, the mission involved unarmed observers and aerial surveillance.
   3. Continued hostilities and lack of cooperation rendered it ineffective.
   4. It was withdrawn in March 1999, just before NATO airstrikes began.
5. Račak Massacre and Turning Point
   1. In January 1999, Serbian forces killed 45 Albanian civilians in Račak.
   2. International observers condemned the massacre, calling it a crime against humanity.
   3. The event created urgency for Western intervention and set the stage for NATO’s direct involvement.