Archive for the month of March 2010

Germany won't withdraw from Kosovo unilaterally

German defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said that Germany does not intend to unilaterally withdraw its 1,500 troops from Kosovo. "We think the reduction of KFOR should not be done separately one by one, this decision will be taken within NATO," he said during a visit to Kosovo. German troops are largely involved in the training and restructuring of Kosovo's security forces.

The Canadian mission ended March 29. The US will substantially cut its forces in Kosovo, to a battalion-size element based at Bondsteel in the southeast. France and Spain have indicated that they intend to withdraw their troops by the end of the year.

Source: Deutsche Welle, Stars and Stripes.

Serbia apologizes for Srebrenica massacre

Serbia's parliament passed a resolution offering an apology for the Srebrenica massacre. The resolution was passed after 13 hours of heated debate with only 127 votes in favor, out of a total of 250. Only 173 MPs were present. The text says: "The parliament of Serbia strongly condemns the crime committed against the Bosnian Muslim population of Srebrenica in July 1995."

Bosniaks and Muslims in Serbia criticized the resolution for not calling the massacre genocide. The UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague has recognized it as such.

Canadian mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended

The Canadian mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina has officially ended with a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Sarajevo. Only six Canadian soldiers were stationed in the country, compared to 2,000 at the height of the operation. About 40,000 Canadian military personnel have served in the region as peacekeepers since September 1991. In total, 23 soldiers have died in the operation, mostly due to accidents.

Top level domain .yu expires

The .yu top level domain of the former Republic of Yugoslavia will officially expire on Tuesday, March 30, at noon. This was announced by the Serbian National Register of Internet Domain Names (RNIDS).

Greece, Macedonia made no progress in name dispute

Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski and Greek prime minister George Papandreou met in Brussels to discuss the long standing name dispute between the two countries. They failed, however, to make any progress. The next possibility for Macedonia to get a date for EU accession talks is the EU summit in June.

Western Balkans summit ended

The Western Balkans meeting near the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana ended. Participants showed willingness to continue implementing reforms needed for EU integration. They will also work on stronger regional co-operation.

The summit was attended by the prime ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia, as well as by EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele. Absent were EU President Herman van Rompuy. Serbia refused to attend because Kosovo was allowed to represent itself. It is a sign that regional relations remain fragile.

Nedjo Ikonic indicted in Bosnia

Bosnia's state prosecutor indicted Nedjo Ikonic for his alleged role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Ikonic — a Serb police commander at the time — allegedly detained Muslims who tried to escape Srebrenica through the woods. He ordered, oversaw and supported the execution of over 1,000 Muslims.

He has been transferred to Sarajevo where he will stand trial.

EULEX vehicle attacked

A hand grenade was thrown at a EULEX police vehicle and shots were fired at it. The incident occurred near Zubin Potok.

US to reduce troops in Kosovo

The US Army announced it will reduce its troops in Kosovo by 570 in the next two months. By the end of May, about 830 US troops will be left as part of Multi-National Brigade East. The reduction is part of an overall NATO restructuring.

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