Separatism: The Kosovo formula
Few days after the decision of the International Court of Justice that the declaration of Kosovo independence is not in discord with the international law, several secessionist movements have asked fro the "Kosovo model" to be applied in their cases as well.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, August 02, 2010
The Pridenstrovle Moldova Republic, which declared unilateral independence in 1990, is asking for the recognition of that state.
The court decision has also encouraged the Catalans in Spain.
"I will do my best to make the central government in Madrid to recognize Kosovo", stated Vice-President of the Catalan Parliament Luis Corominas.
Also raising his voice is leader of the Hungarian separatists in Romania Laszlo Tekes, saying that the Sekui province in Transilvania should be given independence as well.
Sergey Bgapsh, the President of Abhasia, which seceded from Georgia, says that "the opinion of the International Court has once more confirmed the right to self-determination of Abhasia and South Osetia.
The verdict of the court has been awaited with enthusiasm in Nagorno Karabakh, which has separated from Azerbaijan in 1990s. its citizens, mostly Armenian, hope that the case of Kosovo will be their shortcut to international recognition.
This is bad news for many states that are facing secessionism, i.e. a serious threat to their territorial integrity, warns Edwind Backer, an associate of the Dutch Institute of International research, while pointing to possible conflicts in Myanmar, Iraq, India and Somalia.
