U.S. Navy Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples – which oversees N.A.T.O.’s peacekeeping force in Kosovo, has stated concern over violence in Northern Kosovo. Last year, ethnic Serb gunmen stormed a village in Northern Kosovo, killing four people, which was a sign of the escalating aggression in the region. Earlier that year, 90 people were wounded when Serb protesters attacked N.A.T.O. peacekeepers. Unrest in Kosovo is largely rooted in ethnic tensions which have persisted since Kosovo declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1999. This resulted in the Kosovo War in which Serbia tried to brutally crush insurgents calling for Kosovo’s independence, and ended when N.A.T.O. troops initiated a bombing campaign against Serbia to protect ethnic Albanians from ethnic cleansing, allowing Kosovo to finally gain independence in 2008.

Since then, there has been a constant N.A.T.O. presence in the region to preserve peace in the still volatile region. Many ethnic Serbs view Kosovo as the birthplace of their nation and belonging to them even though they are largely a minority. The population of Kosovo is approximately 92% Albanian and only 6% Serb, with the remaining population being Bosnian, Turk, Goran, or Roma. The current Kosovo government is struggling to implement its authority as many ethnic Serbs refuse to recognize it and want more representation in the government. There has been little turnout during elections and the installation of Albanian officials provoked aggression from local Serb citizens. Ethnic tensions persist in the region as the government continues to struggle to establish itself. 

Most U.N. countries and Western countries, in particular, have recognized Kosovo as an independent nation, however, countries like Russia and China have blocked Kosovo’s membership in the U.N. Western countries, the U.N., and N.A.T.O. have all largely condemned Serbia’s actions during the Balkan Wars and their attempts at ethnic cleansing. N.A.T.O. has instated a peace support operation in Kosovo called the Kosovo Force (K.F.O.R.) with the objective of, essentially, maintaining peace and preventing outbreaks of aggression. It is clear, however, that instating N.A.T.O. peacekeepers in Kosovo is insufficient in tempering the aggression that persists in the region. Ethnic tension is a fundamentally difficult problem because the stakes are indivisible. Serbs and Albanians are competing for territory and power which means one will achieve it and the other will get nothing. This tension is also difficult to solve because cultural differences further deepen the divide. N.A.T.O.’s efforts are insufficient because they exist simply to quell aggression. Even then, they have failed to prevent violence due to uncoordinated responses and poor organization. Efforts from international organizations have failed to address the root of the problem, which is that the Kosovo government is failing to establish authority and legitimacy. They instead focus on preventing the consequences of the problem from occurring. 

N.A.T.O. must focus on helping Kosovo rebuild its government which has been ineffectively implemented since its independence, foster an environment where ethnic differences can be addressed and representation in government can be discussed, and set up a program to fund these programs to de-escalate the ethnic tensions. They must also make efforts to create and sign a peace agreement between the ethnic groups and lobby to make Serbia recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Kosovo must establish programs that encourage democratic participation and voter turnout through ad campaigning and publicity efforts. This will be the first step to reinforcing the legitimacy of the government. They must establish proper election procedures and ensure that there is appropriate security around their voting centers and systems. K.F.O.R. can contribute to ensuring the safety of the public in the electoral process. This also includes active promotion and public education of fundamental rights, particularly for minorities. This includes the right to individual language, culture, and religion without fear of discrimination.

Civic education is incredibly important in increasing the knowledge and participation of citizens. They must also initiate meetings and talks with ethnic Serbs to come to a compromise on representation in the government. This should be part of a wider effort to foster unity in the country through establishing educational panels, forums, discussions, and programs to educate the public on cultural differences, how to approach them, and how to integrate minorities into the sociopolitical fabric of the state. In order to achieve peace, there must be room for open discussion and negotiation. In Kosovo, segregation must be actively opposed and the opening up of isolated ethnic enclaves must be pursued in order to lessen decentralization and strengthen the legitimacy of the government.

Overall, there must be an active deconstruction of the entrenched and normalized ethnic barriers, divisions, and classifications within the systems of Kosovo’s government. These barriers are not necessarily rooted in malice but play a large role in shaping the perceptions and misconceptions that perpetrate ethnic conflict. N.A.T.O. must establish a program to promote this systemic overhaul in Kosovo’s government and allocate funding to this program to ensure its effectiveness. They must also send officials and government planners to assist in the establishment of this program and ensure that funds are being allocated appropriately. The violence that persists in Kosovo is a systemic problem that cannot be addressed with surface-level efforts. To achieve peace and stability, systemic change must happen.