The Serb minority in Kosovo
The Serbs make up the largest minority of the population in Kosovo, a Balkan nation with an Albanian majority that proclaimed its independence from Serbia in 2008. Reliable statistics on the number of Serbs in Kosovo are difficult to obtain as a result of the complications caused by the wars and disagreements between the resident Serbs and Albanians. However, the usual estimation for 2019 is 100,000, down from around 300,000 in 1999.
In an attempt to pacify tensions in the country, the 2013 Brussels Agreement called for the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo. But it was postponed due to conflicts, the most recent of which occurred in September 2023 when armed Serb paramilitaries assaulted a police patrol in northern Kosovo, killing one officer.
What do you think is the best way to bring Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo together in peace?
Sources:
- Bechev, Dimitar. “Analysis: are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?” Al Jazeera. 3 October 2023.
- Judah, Tim. “Kosovo’s demographic destiny looks eerily familiar.” Reporting Democracy. 7 November 2019.
- “Serbs.” Minority Rights Group. March 2018.
by anthro.atlas