Organised Crime in Post-war Kosovo : Local Concerns vs. International Responses?

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of organized crime has become one of the most prominent concerns of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Organized crime has been found to be a significant obstacle to peace missions in almost all recent (post-)conflict scenarios where the peacekeepers have been deployed. In particular, long-term oriented peace-building missions, with their focus on the establishment of effective government structures and the strengthening of the rule of law have found themselves confronted with and antagonized by local and transnational networks of organized crime.In the case of Kosovo, the UN-led peace-building mission UNMIK and the subsequent European Union rule-of-law mission EULEX have attempted to fight local networks of organized crime; however, both missions have encountered serious difficulties. In addition to many other challenges and shortcomings, the lack of active support from the local population in fighting organized crime, has been identified as a major problem by the international investigators, prosecutors and judges working in Kosovo.Against this background, the article addresses both local and international perceptions of organized crime in post-war Kosovo, highlighting discrepancies between local and international concerns with respect to crime-fighting. Moreover, it also discusses the extent to which international responses towards organized crime in Kosovo have reflected the interests of the most powerful contributing nations, rather than the concerns of the local population. Finally, it is debated whether the international presence in Kosovo missed out on opportunities to mobilize public support against organized crime in post-war Kosovo.