Independence Spawns Mixed Reactions

The majority of Albanian Kosovars welcomed the news of independence declared on Sunday with celebrations and demonstrations across the country and in the capital city of Pristina. Today however, political unrest and violent protest led to border closings and destruction in northern Kosovo near the border with Serbia where many Serbian Kosovars oppose the idea of an independent Kosovo. Despite the support of the U.S. and most of the E.U. it is clear that this may not be an easy or smooth transition to full statehood for Kosovo while the threat of instability and violence in the region is still looming on the horizon.

Here is an article from the NYT about the divided city of Mitrovica and another from Balkan Insight about the attacks on the border.