Eugen STRĂUȚIU (1)
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania
Cristina-Alexandra DEFFERT (2)
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania
| Abstract: | The city of Mitrovica, located in the north of Kosovo province, went through a bloody phase during the war in 1999, when almost the entire Roma population was evacuated from the town and the Serb population, originally living on the south bank of the Ibar River, was resettled on the north bank.
Today, Mitrovica remains an ethnically and religiously segregated town, the object of peace-keeping missions by KFOR (Kosovo Force) and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Violent clashes between nationalities, or between the Serb population and the authorities, have recurred several times. The objective recapitulation of events is the first step towards a correct understanding of the phenomenon and then to sketch out scenarios of pacification and civilized coexistence of nationalities. Our research aims to provide an updated listing of the main moments in the recent history of the conflict, based on which we will contribute to a correct understanding and prioritization of the causes, detail and explain the current picture of the problem, and then sketch some scenarios for solutions. We will add a brief comparative look, with explanatory value, on other cases of divided cities, to grasp the common and different elements. To this end, we will use tools specific to history, political science, cultural studies and security studies. We will operate with document analysis, causal analysis, comparative analysis and case study, in the hope of getting as close as possible to the correct explanations and feasible solutions. |
| Keywords: | Kosovo War; Mitrovica; divided city; ethnic conflict; separatism |
| Contact details of the authors: | E-mail: eugen.strautiu@ulbsibiu.ro (1)
cristinaalexandra.deffert@ulbsibiu.ro (2) |
| Institutional affiliation of the authors: | Department of International Relations, Political Science and Security Studies, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania (1) (2)
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| Institutions address: | Calea Dumbrăvii No. 34, 2nd Floor, 550324, Sibiu, Romania, phone 0040269422169 (1) (2) |