Kosovo Albanians

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Kosovo, the Serbian word for “black bird” has a long history of conflict. Albanians claim to be descendants of the ancient Illyrians, a people who are believed to have occupied the Balkans some time before the ancient Greeks - and 1,000 years before the Slavs. The Albanian language - Shqip - derives from that of the Illyrian tribes, and is unlike any other known language. The Serbs, however, insist that in the middle ages very few Albanians lived among them.

Conflict among Kosovo Albanians

Ethnic Albanians, mostly Muslims, began settling the province of Kosovo during the period of Turkish rule. At the same time in 1689 Serbs were leaving the region. The Ottoman Empire lost its grip on the region after the First Balkan War in 1912 and the world powers of the time intervened to save Albania from being divided among the Serbs, the Greeks and the Bulgarians, but not before Serbia had claimed Kosovo. Serb forces killed and expelled ethnic Albanians from the region, setting the stage for the conflict that continues to this day.

When Kosovo failed to become an independent state within Serbia in 1989 the ethnic Albanians who lived there were denied jobs and services. As a result Kosovo Albanians, who make up 90% of Kosovo, were forced to create their own ethnic community providing essential services such as hospitals and schools.

Between 1989 and 1998 an estimated 350,000 Kosovo Albanians moved to western Europe. Increasing violence and conflict in 1998 forced thousands of Kosovo Albanians to flee, creating large numbers of internally displaced people within Kosovo.

Air Strikes against Kosovo Albanians

In the lead up to NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia in 1999, Yugoslav and Serb Armed Forces began an ethnic cleansing campaign against Kosovo Albanians. Thousands were killed and some 800,000 fled or were expelled from Kosovo. Fear of such a vast people movement caused the closure of the Macedonian border leaving 65,000 refugees stranded.

In June 1999, all Serb Armed Forces were withdrawn from Kosovo and a United Nations Mission began the process of returning Kosovo refugees. Within 3 weeks half a million refugees had returned. But those returning found a society with no central government, no civil administration, no police force, no justice system. Tens of thousands of homes and property were destroyed, damaged or booby trapped with mines.

In the following months a “reverse ethnic cleansing” occurred with up to 200,000 Serbs fleeing Kosovo. As a result of ongoing ethnic tensions the Balkans remains deeply divided. Yugoslavia currently hosts more than 500,000 refugees from Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Kosovo, making it the largest refugee-host nation in Europe.

Prayer Guide for Kosovo Albanians

* Kosovo Albanians will only ever know true peace through Jesus. Pray that many Muslims will seek the Prince of Peace.

* Pray for God to raise up Christians who will be real peacemakers for both the Albanians and the Serbs.

* Pray for a strong church to be raised up within this nation. (Matthew 5:9)

* Pray for the people of the Balkans who remain in refugee communities and centres throughout Yugoslavia and Europe. (Psalm 32:10)