Pristina, Mitrovica, Belgrade – Whether we should expect after a series of incidents in northern Kosovo the spread of unrest and south of the river Ibar, bearing in mind that yesterday the opposition of the Kosovo Albanians, confirmed that on April 18, will protest on the streets, demanding social justice instead of the previously announced protest over the formation of community Serbian municipalities?
Rada Trajkovic from the European Movement of Serbs in Kosovo and Goran Bogdanovic, former Minister for Kosovo and Metohija and deputy in the Parliament of Serbia, do not exclude such a scenario, since at the last gathering of the Albanian opposition in late January, when they have won a dismissal of Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic, ended with dozens of injured police and demonstrators.
– The security situation is very worrying. Announced Albanian demonstrations will not be negligible, especially as they are encouraged by the success of the previous protests, when the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa sacrificed Jablanovic in order to save his power. Now the political situation is even more sensitive – a decision on establishing a special court for crimes in Kosovo and Metohija is expected, which does not exclude indirect support of people from the Kosovo Government to the demonstration on 18 April. At the same time, Pristina was under pressure from the US that already is working on regulations for the extradition of suspects of crimes – told Danas, Rada Trajkovic.
She estimates that the situation is “complicated”, which does not exclude the possibility that the latest incidents in northern Kosovo, and possible new unrest south of the Ibar, are “agreed projects.” According to her, the story in northern Kosovo has been reduced to “irresponsible minors, but behind them are people who are working with the aim to destabilize.”
– I’m not an advocate of conspiracy theories, but in KiM, the last 16 years all is possible and it is never safe. This applies and to the announced protest against the Government of Kosovo, taking into account the extremists who are against the special court and the continued dialogue with Belgrade. At KiM there are political forces which correspond to chaos and hopelessness. In a situation where there are great social tensions and among the Albanian and Serbian population, rigid statements on both sides do not contribute to peace – explains to Danas, Goran Bogdanovic, who believes that Belgrade must urgently discuss with Pristina and the international community about security in Kosovo, primarily of the Serbian community which is most vulnerable.
– Establishing the rule of law is a process that has recently started and has not yet been stabilized. The north of Kosovo is very sensitive for many political events; youth is dissatisfied because of unemployment and is easy to come up to tensions. Exclusively the groups that are engaged in illegal activities benefit from the unrest and unstable situation. Behind the most recent incidents are minors, with whom have to deal parents – said Andrijana Hodzic to Danas, Director of the Administrative Office of the Government of Kosovo in northern Mitrovica.
Marko Jaksic, a DSS official in the Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija, for security breaches blames the current government of Serbia, because “they have surrendered to Pristina the security system”.
– To ask from Pristina to protect the Serbs was like to ask a rabbit to guard the cabbage. Belgrade has done everything to worsen the situation of Serbs in Kosovo. All this violence and incidents indicate that safety of the Serbs was better when it was done by the members of Serbian police in plainclothes and “guys from the bridge”, who were assisted by the previous governments – from Milosevic to Kostunica and Djindjic. They say in vain now – KiM is second capital of Serbia, when it was surrendered to the self-proclaimed Kosovo state – said Jaksic to Danas.
