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:

• 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, 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)

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:

• 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)