Preševo Valley
Encyclopedia
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
and Preševo
Preševo
Preševo , is a town and municipality in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia, bordering Republic of Macedonia. It is the largest town of the region known as the Preševo valley, and the cultural center of Albanians in Central Serbia....
, which have a majority ethnic Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
population. Medvedja municipality is sometimes also included under this term, although it has a majority Serbian population. Officially they are being referred to as the "municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa".
Geography
Geographically, the Preševo Valley is coterminous with the river basin of Preševska Moravica, from its source near the town of PreševoPreševo
Preševo , is a town and municipality in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia, bordering Republic of Macedonia. It is the largest town of the region known as the Preševo valley, and the cultural center of Albanians in Central Serbia....
to the confluence with Južna Morava
Južna Morava
South Morava or in the past Bulgarian Morava is a river in the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava...
at Bujanovac
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
. It is part of the Morava/Vardar North-South route across the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, which follows the flows of Great Morava and Južna Morava
Južna Morava
South Morava or in the past Bulgarian Morava is a river in the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava...
through Serbia. This route carries the pan-European corridor X and European road E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
. The importance of this route to the Serbia has increased since 1999, when the main alternative route, through Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, became unusable due to the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
.
Terminology
Albanians refer to the area as the "Preševo valley" (Lugina e Preshevës) or simply "[the] valley", and usually associate the municipality of Medveđa at the northern edge with the area. Because of Albanian demands for territorial autonomy, the parallel Serbian term "Preševska dolina" is somewhat politically loaded. In Serbian official statements, the area is usually referred to as the "territory of municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac [and also Medveđa but only when denoting political context of the region]".Demographics
Both municipalities of the Valley have ethnic AlbanianAlbanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
majorities, while the municipality of Bujanovac also has a large ethnic Serb population. The largest settlements in the valley are towns of Preševo (with Albanian majority), Bujanovac (with Serbian plurality) and Medveđa (with Serb majority).
Preševo Valley conflict
In 2001, as a follow-up to the Kosovo WarKosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
, there were reported clashes between Yugoslav security forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas linked to the KLA
Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA was a Kosovar Albanian paramilitary organization which sought the separation of Kosovo from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s....
. The aim of the movement was to take full control of Preševo
Preševo
Preševo , is a town and municipality in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia, bordering Republic of Macedonia. It is the largest town of the region known as the Preševo valley, and the cultural center of Albanians in Central Serbia....
, Bujanovac
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
and Medveđa and hold them until such time as the adjacent lands, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Western Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, also came under Albanian control. This should have been followed by the gradual opening of the borders. Lacking the attention of the international media, the incidents paused as the activities spread south of the border into Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
from where the twin organization ONA
National Liberation Army (Macedonia)
The National Liberation Army , also known as the Macedonian UÇK, was a militant organization that operated in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 and was closely associated with the Kosovo Liberation Army ....
, engaged in a war against Macedonian authorities.
This conflict ended when the Declaration for Demilitarization was signed by the leaders of the Movement, after the government set an agreement for amnesty and promised to include the local inhabitants into police and other spheres of social and institutional life.
In September 2007, Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
stated that former and current terrorists, who recently managed to escape from prison in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, were located in northern regions of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. According to Tadić, terrorists are planning new attacks on municipalities in southern Serbia in order to start a new Preševo Valley conflict. However, most of the terrorists were either captured or killed in a Macedonian police operation, Operation Mountain Storm.
Politics
The Albanians of the area are represented politically by the Albanian Coalition from Preševo ValleyAlbanian Coalition from Preševo Valley
The Albanian Coalition from Preševo Valley is a coalition of groups representing the Albanian inhabitants of the Preševo Valley in South Serbia. It ran as list number 17 in the election in January 2007, winning 16,973 votes, equalling 0.42% of the national vote, and gaining one seat....
, which won one seat in the 2007 Parliamentary election
Serbian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections took place in Serbia on 21 January 2007. The first session of the new National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia was held on 14 February 2007....
.
Representatives from the municipalities of Preševo
Preševo
Preševo , is a town and municipality in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia, bordering Republic of Macedonia. It is the largest town of the region known as the Preševo valley, and the cultural center of Albanians in Central Serbia....
, Bujanovac
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
and Medveđa have adopted a declaration asking for the formation of the "Preševo Valley region" in early August 2009. Milan Marković
Milan Markovic
Milan Marković is a Serbian lawyer, professor and politician. He is the Minister of Human and Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government in the Government of Serbia. He was president of the Palilula municipality from 2000 to 2004. He has been an MP in Serbian Parliament since...
, the President of the Coordinating Body for Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa stated that such demands will not solve any problems.