Kosovo Serbs Frozen Out, OSCE Says

Kosovo is the homeland of around 120,000 Serbs who reject independence.

The stalemate between Pristina and Belgrade on the status of Kosovo has made it very difficult for Kosovo Serbs to return to their homes, a report issued by the OSCE on Monday said.

Since 1999, when the United Nations took control of what was then a breakaway province of Serbia, more than 100,000 Kosovo Serbs have left the territory, many fearing revenge attacks by ethnic Albanians who make up 90 percent of the population.

Since seceding from Serbia in February, the newly independent Kosovo has failed to encourage its remaining Serbs to participate in political life, said the report by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"There is a widespread perception among the Kosovo Serb community of insecurity and mistrust, which prevents interaction outside enclaves," it said.

Some had feared many more Kosovo Serbs would leave after February's declaration of independence, but the OSCE said there had been no significant departures or returns.

"But during this period there was no inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo," the OSCE's ambassador in Pristina, Tim Guldimann, told a news conference.

Kosovo is the homeland of around 120,000 Serbs who reject independence. Supported by its ally Russia, Belgrade has vowed to never accept the secession.

The report also highlighted failures by Kosovo institutions.

"The judiciary remains the weakest of the public institutions," it said. "There has been very limited progress in the fight against corruption, organised crime and human trafficking."

The report criticised Kosovo politicians for interference in the civil service, judiciary, police and the media.

Serbia lost control of Kosovo in June 1999 when NATO bombing drove out Serb forces to halt the mass killing of Albanians in a two-year counter-insurgency war. The United Nations then took over administration of the territory.

Kosovo is recognized by 46 countries, including the United States and most European Union member states.