Director of Human Centre Mitrovica NGO, Veroljub Petronic told Radio Kontakt that the latest events in Staro Gracko are only one of the few security risks that contribute to the worsening of the overall security situation in Kosovo. He says in an interview with the radio that event in Staro Gracko last night was just one of the “small corps of security risks that contribute to the destabilization of the security situation in Kosovo”.
“I have a feeling that this incident in Staro Gracko is well prepared and directed, because when you look at the map of events in Kosovo and when you make an overview, you will see that incidents occur periodically across the regions, and all of this contributes to the creation of tension that is being transmitted throughout the territory of Kosovo” Petronic says.
He especially comments the security situation in northern Kosovo, stressing that the security situation in North Mitrovica after the murder of Oliver Ivanovic has changed drastically, that this was perhaps not visible, but it can be felt because there is a subjective fear among citizens about who would be next.
“Then we had the arrest of the Director of the Office for KiM Marko Djuric and the incident at ‘Mitrovacki Dvor’, which contributed to the aggravation of the complete security situation,” says Petronic.
He points out that the subjective feeling of fear was constantly present in Serbian community in Kosovo, and that the threats that could lead to destabilization occur periodically.
He also spoke about the opening of the main bridge on Ibar in Mitrovica, and he remindes that the representatives of the EU perceive the bridge as one of their greatest achievements in Kosovo.
He partially agrees with the stance of the Mayor of North Mitrovica, Goran Rakic, that the main bridge in Mitrovica should not be opened for traffic, because, according to the estimates, after the opening, incidents would soon take place.
“As soon as the bridge opens, tensions will increase, because the incidents will be expected … We can have the incidents which the police will be able to control, but also those that cannot be controlled” Petronic warns.
“So I would agree with Mr. Rakic. A large pomp is being created around the issue of the bridge, it’s bridge, bridge, bridge. The bridge is not the main problem in the city. We have much bigger security problems in the city than the bridge” Petronic says.
Asked to point out the bigger problems, the director of the NGO Human Centre Mitrovica, cites the problem of drugs and crime.
“The level of drug abuse, the level of drug trafficking, the degree of cooperation between criminal groups from the Serbian and Albanian underground milieu, and even the groups coming from Serbia proper, are things that endanger the young and increase the long-term threat to security” Petronic says.
