UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 4, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• DoS: All those involved in the attack in Banjska must be brought to justice (Koha)
• KFOR on the situation in the north: It can easily escalate (media)
• UNMIK chief in Belgrade, calls for de-escalation and return to dialogue (media)
• Serbian Minister of Defense: Disengagement, not withdrawal of the army (Koha)
• KFOR and EUFOR commanders talk about security in Kosovo (RTK)
• Haxhiu on Radoicic’s release: Serbia, a haven for war criminals and terrorists (Koha)
• Bogdanovic asks Kosovo to guarantee safety of Serbs in north after Radoicic’s release (Koha)
• Szunyog: The future of the Western Balkans is in the EU (media)
• Border point in Bernjak opens for traffic, Jarinje remains closed for entry from Serbia (Koha)
• SP of Albania with a resolution on the attack in the north: Serbia away from Kosovo (RTK)
Serbian Language Media:
• Brnabic: In the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, roles were divided in advance (NMagazin, Beta, TV Prva)
• SRSG Ziadeh says de-escalation of tensions and return to political dialogue urgently needed (Kosovo Online)
• Brnabic: Belgrade constantly warned of brutality against Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Brnjak administrative crossing opened, Jarinje still closed (RTS)
• Higher Court: Radoicic released from custody, forbidden from going to Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• The High Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade to appeal the decision not to order custody for Radoicic (insajder.net)
• Elek: Medicines are running out, there are no physiological saline and vaccines for the youngest (KiM radio, N1, TV Pink)
• Vucevic: Situation in Kosovo disconcerting (Tanjug)
• Starovic: Since Kurti came to power number of Serbs in Kosovo decimated (Tanjug)
• Drecun: Investigation of Banjska incident crucial to dialogue and attitude of West towards Belgrade (RTS, Tanjug)
• From 1998 to 2003, 322 members of Serbian MIA killed in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Romania also to deploy additional troops to Kosovo (KoSSev, N1)
Albanian Language Media:
Osmani: Kosovo is under attack (media)
US says Serbian troops started withdrawal from border with Kosovo (media)
Michel: Disagreements between Kosovo and Serbia must be resolved (Koha)
Gervalla: We urge EU members to stop Vucic’s path to conflict (media)
Rohde: Last week’s attack was attack against Kosovo’s territorial integrity (KSP)
Serbia arrests Milan Radoicic (media)
IMC asks operators to stop broadcast of Serbian channels Arena Sport (KTV)
Serbian Language Media:
Hill: The withdrawal of troops and the arrest of Radoicic are good steps, the dialogue will have to continue (Tanjug, RTS, N1)
Serbian FM says Belgrade wants de-escalation in Kosovo (N1)
Serbian DefMin: Kosovo talks complex following escalation (N1)
Mojsilovic: The current situation in the ground safety zone militarily stable but unpredictable (N1, Beta, RTS)
Prosecution says Radoicic denied committing crimes (N1)
BiH will investigate allegations that Milan Radoicic procured weapons in Tuzla (N1 Sarajevo)
Petronijevic: Radoicic's apartment was searched, his weapon was temporarily confiscated (N1)
Three people arrested at the Merdare checkpoint, 24 guns were found in the car (N1, KoSSev, RTS)
Szunyog: I heard different voices about the current situation in the north of Kosovo (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
The IMC requested a ban on the broadcasting of the Arena channel in Kosovo (RTK2)
Opinions:
International Media:
Nato needs to re-establish control of northern Kosovo, says Albanian PM (Financial Times)
Kosovo Serb politician arrested over role in armed ambush of police (The Guardian)
Serbia has started to withdraw forces from Kosovo border, US says (Anadolu Agency)
Analysis: Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war? (Al Jazeera)
Serbia Detains Kosovo Serb Kingpin Radoicic on Weapons Charges (Balkan Insight)
European Parliament discusses Banjska attack, some MEPs propose freezing EU funds for Serbia (EWB)
Albanian Language Media:
• Kurti: Serbia is working on military plans for annexation (Koha)
• The European Parliament to debate today the September 24 attack in the north (RTK)
• Haxhiu: Radojicic should be tried in Kosovo (media)
• Serbia demands that KFOR take control of the north (RTK)
• AAK insists on an international investigation into the attack in the north (media)
• Kurti and Rasic meet municipal officials for community and returns (Kallxo)
• EULEX chief visits the Police Inspectorate (Klan)
• KDI: Only 10 percent of citizens think that there is improvement in justice (RTK)
Serbian Language Media:
• Milan Radoicic arrested; 48 hours detention ordered (RTS)
• Vucic: “If Kurti’s terror continues, Serbs will start leaving en masse” (Tanjug, Happy TV)
• Serbian opposition demands Inquiry Committee, Parliament session over Banjska clashes (N1)
• Jarinje and Brnjak closed for ten days (Kosovo Online)
• No vaccines for seven babies in Mitrovica Hospital, tetanus vaccines also missing; Starovic: The situation alarming (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR reinforces its presence in northern Kosovo, calls for return to dialogue (Tanjug)
• German Defense Minister: Sending additional soldiers to Kosovo is not on agenda (KiM radio, dpa)
• Serb arrested at Jarinje sent to house arrest (KoSSev)
• Elshani: Field search in Banjska still ongoing, we believe that we are nearing end (KoSSev)
• Serbia demands that KFOR take control of the north (Document) (RTK2)
Opinion:
• Jarinje, Brnjak and small Banjska (KoSSev)
• Kosovo attack: Who benefits? (Politico)
International:
• Kosovo’s troubles may not have come to a head, but the crisis still festers (The Guardian)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 3, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
State Department hasn’t verified reports about withdrawal of Serbian troops (media)
Special unit in Banjska replaced with Fast Intervention Unit (Klan Kosova)
Bislimi: Attack in the north was orchestrated and organized by Serbia (media)
Baerbock: Serbia must reduce troops near Kosovo border, no more tensions (media)
McClain: The United States must stand by Kosovo (media)
Rama, Plenkovic call for measures against Serbia because of violence in Kosovo (media)
Kosovo government condemns acts of vandalism in Medvedja (media)
Serbian Language Media:
Vucic tells CNN Serbia is last country that needs incident, it wants stronger presence of KFOR in northern Kosovo (RTS, CNN)
Djuric: Of the two military buildups in Kosovo neither is Serbian (N1)
US Welcomes Serbian troop withdrawal (N1, AFP, The Pavlovic Today)
UN SC session at which UNMIK report on Kosovo will be presented to be held on October 18 (Tanjug)
Orlic: Admission of Kosovo to CoE would be absurd (Tanjug)
Grenell: Transparent investigation needed, US to send envoy (Kosovo Online, social media)
Kosovo special forces withdraw from Banjska, members of police intervention units remain (KoSSev, media)
International Media:
After Monastery Shootout, Residents Say Kosovo Villages Feel Like a ‘Jungle’ (The New York Times)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 2, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Kurti: The terrorist attack with a plan to annex the north of Kosovo (media)
• Stano: Kosovo Police investigating situation, Serbia should cooperate unconditionally (Koha)
• Gervalla: If internationals tolerate Serbia, there will be a war (RTK)
• Musliu: Serbia is building a military base near Izvor (Koha)
• Haradinaj demands international investigation into attacks in the north (Koha)
Serbian Language Media:
• Petkovic: “Pathologists determined Mijailovic killed while lying on his back” (RTS, N1, media)
• Minister of Defense: Serbia will do its utmost to preserve peace, it respects UN SC Resolution 1244 (RTS)
• Serbian Army Chief of Staff: Milan Radoicic was not in training at Pasuljanske livade (N1)
• Jarinje and Brnjak closed for entry for more than a week (Kosovo Online)
• Dalibor Jevtic: We have warned international community more than 200 times (TV Most, TV Pink)
• Orban: Hungary always for dialogue, against sanctions (Tanjug)
• Mihajlovic: Radoicic tried to save Vucic and the government by confessing (KiM radio, Beta, Danas)
International:
• Serbia denies US, EU reports of military build-up along Kosovo border (Al Jazeera)
• Belgrade official slams West for abetting Kosovar premier’s aggression against local Serbs (TASS)
• The US is warning of a big build-up of Serbian troops on the Kosovo border. Here’s why tensions are high (CNN)
Albanian Language Media:
Svecla: “Serbia tried to annex the north; attackers trained in Serbian bases” (RFE)
Kurti meets Sarrazin, says “Serbia directly involved in attack on Kosovo” (media)
Kosovo calls on Serbia to withdraw all military troops from border (media)
German Foreign Office: Further escalation must be avoided (media)
Osmani: “Irrefutable evidence linking Serbia to terrorist act against Kosovo” (media)
Kurti: Deeply appreciate support of our allies in collective fight for democracy (media)
Kearns welcome deployment of British battalion to Kosovo (media)
Osmani holds meetings amid “security challenges” (media)
Kurti thanks Sullivan for U.S. support for Kosovo border security (media)
Wisner: Serbia to bring perpetrators to justice or hand them over to Kosovo (media)
Basha: “Attack in the north prepared by state segments in Serbia” (media)
Sukovic: Pristina a more serious player than many believed (Nacionale)
Kosovo leaders condemn terrorist attacks in Ankara (media)
Serbian Language Media:
Petkovic to present evidence that refutes Pristina's claims at press conference today (Tanjug)
Vucevic and Mojsilovic about the statement of Svecla on press conference (Blic)
Patriarch Porfirije: "All people in Kosovo and Metohija need peace" (Blic)
Witness from Banjska: ''They shot the wounded Mijailovic from two meters away'' (N1, KiM radio, TV Pink)
Svecla and Hoxha accuse Serbia of involvement in Banjska events, deny that a Serb was killed after surrendering (KoSSev)
A man arrested on his way to funeral to Serb killed in Banjska (KoSSev, N1)
“Torcida” fan club with a banner “You come close to Kosovo, you are digging your own graves”; KP forced them to take it down (KoSSev)
Vucic: We have eyewitnesses of the killing of Serbs, you will see it within 24 hours (N1)
Milan Radoicic gives statement to police as a citizen (N1)
Borrell on situation in Kosovo: Serbian military buildup is concerning and needs to stop (N1)
Blinken talks to Vucic, calls for de-escalation of tensions with Kosovo (N1)
Sovrlic on Banjska: Someone apparently convinced them that they were really returning home (KoSSev, Nova S)
Office for KiM: Three Serbs beaten in G. Varage; KP has no information, invites them to report (KoSSev)
UNS and DNKiM: Tvrdisic suspended from the post of director of RTK2 without a clear explanation (KiM radio, Kosovo Online, KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)
Opinions:
Kearns: ‘The UK must find its backbone in the Balkans’ (politics.co.uk)
Serwer: It’s not only about Kosovo (media)
Surroi: One of many logs has been eliminated (Koha)
International Media:
Kosovo Demands Serbia Withdraw Forces From Border (RFE)
Kosovo PM Kurti calls for NATO to help fill security vacuum in northern territories (Euronews)
Serbia will not send military forces into Kosovo, Vučić insists (Financial Times)
Kosovo Serb Kingpin Radoicic Takes Responsibility for Weekend Shootout (BIRN)
Extremists vie with politicians to capitalise on rightward shift in Balkans (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 29, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• NATO Secretary General statement on the situation in Kosovo (media)
• Raid in four locations in the north ends, the fifth ongoing (media)
• Prosecutor: Action was carried out mainly in Radojcic’s properties (Koha)
• Svecla says attack in Banjska will be fully investigated (media)
• Berisha: We got information from intelligence on training of groups in Raska (Nacionale)
• Haxhiu responds to Rama: KFOR does not need to take control of the north (media)
• After attack in Banjska, increased movement of Serbian tanks in Presevo Valley (Klan)
Serbian Language Media:
• NATO approved sending additional forces to Kosovo (Tanjug, Politika)
• Vucic: Milan Radoicic resigned from the position of vice-president of the Serbian List (media)
• Borrell does not rule out the possibility of introducing punitive measures against the authorities in Serbia (N1, KiM radio)
• Office for KiM: Banjska as an excuse for continuation of terror in north of Kosovo (RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Serbian List: Invasion into several private facilities in north of Kosovo (RTS, N1, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Elek on Kosovo special police raid of hospital premises, nothing was found (KoSSev, media)
• Ristuccia: There is no military solution for Kosovo, normalisation of relations necessary (Radio KIM, RTV, Tanjug)
• Vucic meets with Orban, UAE presidential envoy in Belgrade (Tanjug)
• Dacic and Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko on the situation in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• KoSSev: A fake priest spreading propaganda on certain Albanian media (N1)
• Brnabic: Kurti's terror against Serbs continues (Tanjug)
• EULEX: Monitoring activities conducted in cooperation with Kosovo police and KFOR (Tanjug, Blic)
Opinion:
• Hehir: The consequences of appeasing Vucic (Kosovo 2.0)
• Mandic: “Murderers at best, terrorists at worst” (Kosovo 2.0/Pescanik)
• “Is it possible to declare the Serbian List as a terrorist organisation?” (Danas)
• Hoxha on Banjska events: It was police operation, KFOR was clear; EU characterised it as ‘terrorist act’ (KoSSev)
International:
• NATO Says It Has Authorized Additional Forces for Kosovo (usnews.com)
• Belgrade to Question Kosovo Serb Kingpin Radoicic over Violence: Vucic (BIRN)
• Concrete and Cash: The Dirty Money Behind a Balkan Building Boom (Balkan Insight)
• Austria sent a non-paper for the accelerated EU integration of the Western Balkans (EWB)
Albanian Language Media:
Osmani: Kosovo is under attack, dialogue is no longer the same (media)
Kurti: Idea that weapons entered Banjska without involvement of Serbia cannot be believed (media)
Gervalla: The association is dead (media)
Kurti responds to Edi Rama's idea that KFOR take control of the north of Kosovo (Kallxo)
Department of State: Killing of policeman cannot be equated with that of attackers (RFE)
QUINT in OSCE: Killers of Kosovo police should be brought to justice (media)
European Parliament to discuss situation in the north on Tuesday (Klan)
UAE calls for return to dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (RTK)
Rohde: We have seen a lot of inflammatory statements, especially from Belgrade, this has to stop (media)
Police are looking for weapons and other potential victims in Banjska (Koha)
EULEX denies Serbia’s claim that it was not allowed to take part in police operation (Reporteri)
Bodies of the killed in Banjska cannot be handed over to families without scientific identification (Reporteri)
The Rashka-Prizren Diocese refuses for Kosovo to restore the Banjska Monastery (Koha)
Maliqi believes "there will be new attacks", says Vjosa Osmani "seems informed about the dangers"(Nacionale)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms death of Kosovo citizen in territory of Serbia (RTK)
Kurti asks for support in clarifying the fate of the missing (Klan)
Serbian Language Media:
Vucic: Situation in Kosovo more complicated and dangerous than ever (N1)
Elek: Kosovo special police forcefully entered Clinical Hospital Centre in Mitrovica North, conduct search of some premises (Kosovo Online, N1)
Raska-Prizren Diocese responds to Kosovo institutions’ initiative to repair damage at Banjska Monastery (media, SOC’s website)
Jeremic: A broad national gathering needed in elections for protection of Kosovo (N1, Nova.rs, RTV)
Dacic meets with German MP Chrupalla, discuss Kosovo issue (Tanjug)
Mijacic: How long does implementation of freedom of movement agreement need to be waited for? (social media, Kosovo Online)
EUELX said in no way it was prevented to be present or observe Kosovo police operation in Banjska (KoSSev)
EULEX: Present during autopsy as observers, Pristina authorities conduct investigation into Banjska case (Kosovo Online)
International Media:
Kosovo accuses Serbia of involvement in paramilitary ambush (The Guardian)
Exclusive: Kosovo's president blames Serbia for shootout, says Kosovo 'under attack' (Reuters)
Exclusive: Serbia to investigate killing of policeman in northern Kosovo, Vucic says (Reuters)
Kosovo accuses Serbia of direct involvement in deadly clashes and investigates possible Russian role (AP)
Albanian Language Media:
• Kosovo Assembly adopts resolution condemning attack in Banjska (media)
• Kurti: Serbia ruins bridges of cooperation; police showed determination (EO)
• Kurti wants Serbia “to be punished internationally” for the attack in Banjska (Klan)
• Kosovo special police step up presence in north after attack in Banjska (RFE)
• Rama: KFOR should take over control in north of Kosovo (Indeksonline)
• Vetevendosje’s Mihali reacts to Rama’s proposal for KFOR in north of Kosovo (media)
• EU in Belgrade didn’t lower flag to half-mast: “We don’t mourn criminals” (Kallxo)
• Clark: Incident in north of Kosovo, a real problem for stability in the Balkans (VoA)
• Kamberi reacts to Vucic’s statement about “trained criminals from Presheva” (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• An order has arrived from the SNS: Mayors and presidents of municipalities across Serbia are resigning (N1)
• Petkovic voices serious accusations against Kosovo police and its role in Banjska killings (Radio KIM, N1)
• Increased presence of special police in the north; Petkovic: Why didn't they allow EULEX to participate in the investigative operation (RTS)
• "Flags lowered, heads bowed": What are the residents in Kosovo north saying in the days after the conflict in Banjska? (Danas)
• Serbs in areas south of Ibar River: Tensions, uncertainty, sadness and powerlessness felt (Kosovo Online)
• PKS: Armed conflict in Banjska last alarm for all parties in dialogue (KiM radio)
• The house of Bosiljka Nojic in Gnjilane stoned (RTV Puls, Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio)
• Reaction of the Diocese to the statement of retired American General Clark (VoA, KiM radio)
• Serbia’s top security agency says its chief on visit to Israel (N1)
• Dveri, Oathkeepers, the People's Party demanding a parliamentary session on Kosovo (KiM Radio, Beta)
• Sutanovac: I think Vucic did not know what was happening in Banjska (Radio KIM, N1)
• Rada Trajkovic: How come “mysterious hand, with power on both sides, always saves Radoicic” (NMagazin, Beta, KoSSev)
Opinion:
• Franz-Lothar Altmann: Additional international forces need to be deployed to northern Kosovo (Demostat)
International:
• Kosovo Frees Four Serbs after Clashes, Alleges New Serbia Link (BIRN)
• Kosovo accuses Serbia of involvement in paramilitary ambush (The Guardian)
• Statute of Limitations as ‘Amnesty’ in Too Many Kosovo Criminal Cases (Balkan Insight)