The Kosovo Humanitarian Crisis with Respect to International Communities’ and International Organizations’ Absolute Principles and Legitimacy
Introduction
The situation in Kosovo that worsened in the 1990s traces back its history to the beginning of the twentieth century. At the start of the twentieth century, this culturally rich place had been in conflicts of different interests, both locally and internationally (Schnabel and Thakur 19). The conflicting interest came to the fore in the 90s, with a devastating war that everyone wanted to forget as soon as possible. This raises two great questions of major concern: In view of the Kosovo situation, it is evidence that the international community and organizations failed, considering their capable obligations to handle post-Cold War challenges (Schnabel and Thakur 2).
It is true that the world witnessed in Kosovo that international law and various statutes were proposed for humanitarian intervention to be made a mandatory right to all people, through diplomacy or military action.
The Problem
Kosovo became part of the former Yugoslavia at the beginning of the twentieth century despite the unwillingness of the Albanians, who are the major Kosovars (Schnabel and Thakur, 32). Yugoslavian communism became evident after the Second World War. Later on, the Albanians claimed a republican position for Kosovo, which was a factor that led to the Yugoslav constitution and resulting in Kosovo receiving special sovereignty. This was despite the fact that Kosovo was still technically under Serbia.
Several conflicts arose in Kosovo. In the mid-1990s, there was an emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) (Schnabel and Thakur 34). This created tension in the region, with various people in Yugoslavia viewing the situation differently yet others taking advantage of it. The international organizations like the UN, NATO, and their affiliates had the knowledge of the situation but did less to intervene. The international community simply kept mum, despite the recently observed new world order at that time (Schnabel and Thakur 2). War escalated causing displacement of people and loss of lives. Later on, a controversial military intervention by NATO was seen as doubtful because it resulted in some form of ethnic cleansing. In spite of the doubt, the involvement of NATO, UN, and their affiliates brought some element of stability in the region.
The Topics
Considering the various chapters referred to for this piece of work, they can be easily discussed at an individual level on their reaction to the Kosovo situation. Taking the first three chapters: Kosovo and the challenge of World Order, Kosovo in the twentieth century, and the Kosovo conflict, different writers are seen to bring the history of the conflict and its partial end in different dimensions. The most important aspect is the factors of the conflict, how it led to war and how it finally ended, taking into account its effects. The relationship of the topics is evident with a consistent and accurate account of the cause of the war and its effects. The final chapter, Unbridled Humanitarianism, relates the various interventions and humanitarianism as an element that should be a human right in times of such crises (Schnabel and Thakur 496). The importance of the title of this piece of writing can be seen as it is directly addressed in these chapters, and is well reflected throughout. The Kosovo situation was the beginning of what can be seen as an international cry calling for interventions. The world had witnessed the brutal killing of children, women, and men who had nothing to do with the war, resulting in an international outcry.
Critical Appraisal
It can be seen that the Kosovo conflict has a history to view. Even before the war, different scholars had predicted it. The international community and organizations had simply ignored their pleas. To a further extent, war escalated, leading to thousands losing their lives and hundreds of thousands of others being displaced as refugees. The international community and related organizations failed in their mandate to prevent the war. This should be of the main importance because it limits deaths as much as possible. At the same time, humanitarianism was at stake. People suffered during the war. Relating the Kosovo issue with the Rwandan situation, helping people during such crises was a big issue (Schnabel and Thakur 3). In Rwanda, close to a million people died when the international community failed to respond on time. This simply means that humanitarianism should be taken to another level…
Leave a Reply