Kosovo 1999

Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bill Clinton

Slobodan Milosevic

Kosovo belongs to Serbia.

We will never give it up.

Our ancestors fought against a Muslim army at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, but were defeated.

Kosovo is part of our history!

In 1999, the population of Kosovo was mostly Albanian Muslims with a small Serb minority.

Kosovo 1989 - 1999

• Up till 1989, Kosovo had its own government

• In 1989, Slobodan Milosevic abolished it, and it was ruled directly from Belgrade (Serbian capital)

Serbian President Milosevic

Kosovo 1989 - 1999

• The Albanian Muslims carried out peaceful resistance until 1996

• The Kosovan Liberation Army (KLA) emerged to start attacks against Serbian police,army and civilians Kosovan Liberation

Army

Kosovo 1989 - 1999

• The KLA demanded independence for Kosovo

• Attacks increased in 1997 and 1998

• Milosevic sent in more troops to stop the rebellion

• There was growing evidence of civilians being targeted by Serbian troops

Milosevic reassures Serbians that he will deal with the Kosovan problem

Kosovo 1998 - 1999• The victims of a massacre

of 24 Albanians Muslims by Serbian forces in February 1998 at Drenice

Kosovo 1998 - 1999

• Milosevic was determined to keep Kosovo and protect the Serbs living there from being attacked

• The United Nations protested at the level of violence being used by Serbian forces

Kosovo 1998-1999

• NATO warned Serbia to back off and withdraw their forces from Kosovo

• Thousands of Albanian Muslim refugees fled from their homes to escape the violence

Kosovo 1999

• In early 1999, the KLA and Serbia tried to reach agreement at a peace conference in France

• The KLA signed an agreement, but Serbia refused because they would not accept NATO troops in Kosovo

The Kosovo War 1999

• NATO warned Serbia to stop its ethnic cleansing in Kosovo or face the consequences

• When Milosevic ignored the warnings, NATO started air strikes at military targets in Kosovo and Serbia in March 1999

The Kosovo War 1999

• NATO air strikes soon targeted bridges, oil refineries, power supplies and communications.

• Even Belgrade was attacked

The Kosovo War 1999• Tens of thousands of Kosovo Albanian refugees

were pouring out of the province into neighbouring countries, with stories of killings, atrocities and forced expulsions at the hands of Serb forces.

The Kosovo War 1999• The NATO

bombings lasted for 78 days

• In June, Milosevic decided to surrender, and agreed to the removal of Serb forces from Kosovo and a NATO-led force to come in and keep the peace (KFOR)

Kosovo 1999-2008

• Kosovo remained part of Serbia• It was controlled by the United

Nations and NATO, working with a new government

• NATO had to deal with violent clashes between Albanian Muslims and Serbs

• Talks started about the future of Kosovo in 2006

Kosovo’s Independence

• On February 17th, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence.

• Serbia said the declaration was illegal.

• Europe's major powers and the United States recognised Kosovo’s independence

• Serbia has said that it will never accept that Kosovo is no longer part of their territory

Kosovo’s New Flag