A Guerra do Kosovo como caso para estudo do terrorismo de Estado

Abstract

The work developed aims to analyze how the actions carried out by the Serbs during the Kosovo War can be seen as acts of State terrorism. To this end, it is necessary to understand the violent events that occurred during this war, which include armed attacks in the streets, the prevention of Kosovar children from attending school, the exclusion of the political and cultural rights of Kosovars, among other forms of ethnic cleansing carried out by Serbs in the Kosovo region. For this, it is essential to understand the concept of terror and political terrorism, in which violent acts are carried out with the intention of mobilizing a population or target group to achieve a certain goal – often political – by coercing that population into yielding to the demands through fear. In addition, it is important to understand the concept of State terrorism, which is encompassed within the broader concept of terrorism. In State terrorism, agents of the State – or those acting on its behalf – carry out terrorist acts and operations, which may be directed against their own population – the one they are supposed to protect – or against international social actors. In the case of Kosovo, the State – the Serbs – acts against its own population in the Kosovo region, organizing terrorista operations with the intent of carrying out ethnic cleansing or, alternatively, forcing Kosovar Albanians to accept the government's decision that the Kosovo region belongs to Serbia. This paper seeks to understand whether such acts committed by the Serbian government can be considered acts of State terrorism, also taking into account the historical background of the region. To achieve this objective, an interpretative case study was conducted with a qualitative-analytical basis, using official documents, articles, monographs, and academic papers in general, supported by a theoretical bibliographical review on State terrorism