Belgrade-based daily Danas on its front-page reports today on polemics that surfaced following warning of Abbot Sava Janjic on possible staged incidents in the north of Kosovo. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in an interview to TV Pink called warnings “idle talks” adding that nothing has happened, and nothing would happen.
Danas reported that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj paid a visit to the Bondsteal US camp at his personal request and met with a base commander Nick Ducich. From there Prime Minister Haradinaj termed “the statements of the Serbian priests on division and destabilization in Kosovo” as “speculations.”
Danas daily referring to Pristina sources claims that yesterday Kosovo President Hashim Thaci spoke with USA Ambassador in Pristina, Greg Delawie, however, it remained unknown if the topics included warnings of the Raska-Prizren Eparchy or the fact that NATO Joint Allied Forces Commander Admiral James Foggo during the visit to the north of Kosovo two days ago ignored official Pristina.
Meanwhile, Abbot Sava Janjic told Danas daily warnings of the Serbian Orthodox Church are not “idle gossips” but information received from Church believers, even from the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) honest members, who are asking the Church not to reveal their names in order not to lose their jobs.
Abbot Sava Janjic added that based on the order from Belgrade “a working obligation” was imposed since August 1 and at times of summer holidays everybody has to be at their working places. There is also an insistence of students’ presence in Mitrovica North due to possible protests that could be organized.
According to Abbot Sava, there are open talks on announcing, aside negotiations, some sort of autonomy of the northern Kosovo on August 5, that should provoke intrusion of Kosovo Special Police Units and ROSU in a scenario similar to that during the arrest of Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Marko Djuric in March this year.
The issue is that this time things would not end calmly and there would be victims on the both sides. The crucial indicator if certain international cycles are taking part in this scenario would be if they would allow special police forces “to restore the order” in case of provocation related to alleged declaration of autonomy of the north of Kosovo. Abbot Janjic further warned this must not happen as this would be a trigger for a bloodshed.
Abbot Janjic also said “such incident would serve to those in Belgrade and those in Pristina who are supportive of division of Kosovo.”
He further warned the biggest victims would be Serbs living south of the Ibar River who would be exposed to systematic attacks by Albanian extremists as it happened in March 2004. Abbot Janjic also warned that attacks against Serbian Orthodox Church shrines are also possible.
Asked why he decided to go public with these warnings now, Abbot Sava Janjic said it is about “moral obligations” since “it was heard from various sources that certain structures in the north are actively engaged in preparing this scenario,” Danas daily reported.
