Srebrenika, and Radovan Karadzic have been
indicted but remain in hiding protected by the
authorities. In 2003, Yugoslavia ceased to exist.
Tensions between Serbia and Montenegro had
flared up but were resolved by the formation of a
loose union. Much remained to be done to restore
normal conditions and rebuild the lives and econ-
omies of the people in Kosovo and the new
republics. A generation after the death of Tito, the
violent passions of nationalism destroyed a once
prospering country where the different ethnic
groups and nationalities once seemed to live with
each other. The West had acted here in the heart
of Europe as they would not in Africa. Moral
imperatives are relative.
In 2003 Serbia was in the grip of internal tur-
moil. The post-Milosˇevic ́ government was faced
with the opposition of all those who had profited
under the Milosˇevic ́ regime. Crime was rampant
and at times the local Mafia dealing in drugs and
extortion appeared more in control than the gov-
ernment. When Djindic attempted to suppress the
criminals they assassinated him. The Milosˇevic ́
legacy cast a long shadow over the country.926 GLOBAL CHANGE: FROM THE 20th TO THE 21st CENTURY