yugoslavias implosion

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ChApter 3
repression of the civilian population. The United States and other
members of the Contact Group put forward a peace proposal to present
to Yugoslavia and Serbian government officials and Kosovo Albanian
representatives 408 at the Rambouillet conference on February 6,
1999. The proposal was the result of several months of intensive shuttle
diplomacy by Hill and Petritsch. They, with Russian envoy Boris
Mayorski, were the chief brokers for the proposed agreement, which
would include a high degree of self-government for Kosovo with its
own legislative, executive, and judicial bodies; full judicial protection
of human rights and the rights of all national communities in
Kosovo; and a local police force reflecting the ethnic composition of
the Kosovo population.
The terms of the proposed Rambouillet agreement was condemned
across the political spectrum in Serbia. Zoran Đinđić said
that the Kosovo problem could not be dealt with as an isolated incident
and should instead be seen as a result of the lack of democratic
institutions, while Vojislav Koštunica predicted that the “new Dayton”
would offer worse conditions than its predecessor and give
Milošević a new political lease of life as the guarantor of capitulation.
409 He also said that under the Rambouillet agreement the
“Kosovar Serbs would become a national minority like the Egyptians,
Roma or Muslims.” 410 The Contact Group plan’s ultimate
object was “Kosovo’s exit from our country”; the “sole element linking
Kosovo to Serbia and the fry” was the “hapless and disarmed vj
on the border,” denied its right to intervene on Kosovo’s territory. 411
“Control of Serbia is more important to nato than peace in Kosovo,”
Koštunica alleged. 412 President of the Social Democratic Party Nebojša
408 The Kosovo delegation consisted of 16 members including Thaci,
Rugova, Surroi, Bukoshi, Agani, Qosja and others .
409 Glas javnosti, January 30–31, 1999 .
410 Danas, February 9, 1999 .
411 Danas, February 2, 1999 .
412 Glas javnosti, February 23, 1999 .