Photo: President Osmani’s meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Sharif.

The process of international recognition of Kosovo entered a new phase in the past two weeks, after more than four years of stagnation. Kenya and Sudan are the two African states that have officially recognized Kosovo’s independence, giving new momentum to its affirmation on the international stage. While these developments were welcomed by local institutions and Western diplomats in Kosovo, there were harsh reactions in Serbia from the highest levels of power.

The recognitions by Kenya and Sudan come after a decline in the pace of recognitions in recent years. The last state to recognize Kosovo was Israel in 2020, as part of the Washington Agreement.

In a video alongside Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Ali Yousuf al-Sharif, at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, President Vjosa Osmani said that she was informed by him of the Sudanese president’s decision to recognize Kosovo and to establish relations between the two countries.

Osmani described the recognition as “the beginning of a grand partnership.”

Prior to that, Kenya’s recognition was confirmed during a ceremony made public by former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, before President Osmani officially confirmed that she had received recognition from her Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto.

Recognitions from African states revived the anti-Kosovo narrative in Serbia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic described Kenya’s recognition as “a grave act and a political blow to Serbia.” He also reiterated that Serbia will continue its campaign of “de-recognition” and must prepare for an intense confrontation with what he called “Prishtina’s powerful lobbying.”

This rhetoric openly contradicts the 2023 Brussels Agreement, reached with the mediation of the European Union, in which both parties committed not to obstruct each other in the international arena.

“The Parties proceed on the assumption that neither of the two can represent the other in the international sphere or act on its behalf. Serbia will not object to Kosovo’s membership in any international organisation.”, states Article 4 of the agreement.

Despite the agreement, which aims to normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations, Serbia continues to promote the narrative that “Kosovo is not a state” and that “every recognition must be opposed through organized campaigns to reverse them.”

Pro-government Serbian media even speculated that the recognitions were bought with money in an effort to delegitimize them. According to “Kurir”, Kosovo authorities allegedly “paid 100,000 dollars” to secure recognition from Kenya. Serbian officials claim this to be a serious violation of international norms, although no evidence has been provided for this amount or the mechanism through which it was supposedly carried out.

In another article, it is stated that Serbia should respond with a counter-campaign to derecognize Kosovo, while noting that “Pristina is engaged in serious lobbying.” The piece adds that Serbia is preparing a new international campaign to oppose every new recognition of Kosovo and to increase pressure on countries that have already recognized it.

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora responded to the statements made by Serbian officials. The MFA stated that the latest reactions are not an isolated case.

“The ongoing campaign by Serbia to block Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe has already been deemed a violation of the Brussels Agreement by the European Union, as reflected in recent public statements following Serbia’s vote against Kosovo’s membership in April 2023. The expansion of this campaign to challenge bilateral recognitions such as that by Sudan once again reveals that Serbia is deliberately employing a strategy to undermine Kosovo’s statehood, while continuously disregarding the principles of constructive dialogue and regional stability,” the statement reads.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Sudan’s decision to recognize Kosovo’s independence is politically responsible, historically justified, and legally sound, in line with the 2010 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which found that Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate international law. “This recognition reflects the growing global consensus on Kosovo’s statehood, with 119 countries now standing in solidarity with our sovereignty.”

Serbia’s continued opposition to Kosovo’s statehood stems from its official policy of non-recognition of the independence declared on February 17, 2008. Serbia considers Kosovo to be part of its territory, basing this stance on its Constitution, and has launched a so-called “derecognition” campaign in an effort to diminish international support for Kosovo.

This is also backed by its allies, such as Russia and China, who in the past have blocked Kosovo’s membership in international organizations like INTERPOL, UNESCO, and the Council of Europe.