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Tensions in the North, KFOR appeals to Kosovo and Serbia: Refrain from escalating rhetoric

2024-03-22 16:05:17Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Tensions in the North, KFOR appeals to Kosovo and Serbia: Refrain from

NATO's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said on Friday that the security situation in Kosovo is "calm but fragile", and called on Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from escalating and divisive rhetoric.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said late Thursday that units of the Serbian army were observed a few meters away from the border with Kosovo, describing those movements as "intentional provocations".

In an answer to Radio Free Europe (REL), KFOR said that, after the recent tensions, about 1,000 additional troops of the weekly mission moved to Kosovo and that the presence of this force in the north of Kosovo has increased.

"We have also tripled the number of patrols, including on the administrative border line", said KFOR.

"Our goal is to stop the escalation and we are ready and equipped to take all measures to fulfill our UN mandate to ensure a safe environment for all people living in Kosovo, as well as free movement", he added.
Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of Defense of Serbia rejected Kurti's statements, calling them "disinformation campaigns for the Serbian army".

She said that the Serbian army forces "are carrying out their duties in the safe administrative zone, in accordance with all the signed agreements".

Earlier in the day, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, James O'Brien, said that the United States is monitoring the movements of the Serbian army near the border with Kosovo and that it has informed Serbia that the use of force will was unacceptable.
"In Serbia, the president [of Serbia, Aleksandar] Vučić knows very well that any use of force against Kosovo would be unacceptable, it would be considered endangering NATO forces, which are there to protect the population, Albanians and Serbs . He has said that there will be no use of force," said O'Brien.

He called on Kosovo and Serbia to take action to reduce tensions in the region.

KFOR said its mission's presence is "flexible and visible" throughout Kosovo, adding that this enables it to closely monitor any relevant security developments and respond to all security-impacting situations.

The peacekeeping force said it is working closely with the Kosovo Police and EULEX, as the first and second security responders in Kosovo, respectively.

KFOR called on Kosovo and Serbia to engage in the dialogue mediated by the European Union.
Tensions in the north of Kosovo began to rise at the end of May 2023, after the new mayors of the municipalities of Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq, accompanied by the Kosovo Police, entered the municipal buildings.

Serbian residents opposed this and organized protests that culminated in violence on May 29 in Zveçan, where dozens of demonstrators and KFOR soldiers were injured.

They escalated a few months later, on September 24, when the Kosovo Police was attacked by a group of armed Serbs in Banjska in Zveçan in the north of the country, where one policeman and three attackers were killed.

As a result, NATO increased the number of its soldiers in the peacekeeping mission, KFOR.

According to the annual report of the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, now the KFOR mission has 4,700 members in Kosovo, including the reserve force.

This number will increase even more, if a decision is made for Slovenia to increase the number of troops in Kosovo next month./REL


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