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)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Kosovo Serbs need to be liberated from Serbia’s tutelage (RFE)
• Elshani: Our goal was not to kill 30 persons, but to free the territory (Koha)
• Svecla says “one of those killed was Vulin’s bodyguard in 2013” (media)
• Stano: EU does not rush into decisions based on a video (Albanian Post)
• Rasic: There was information three months ago about military camp in Raska (media)
• Abdixhiku calls for “national unity when faced with Serbia” (media)
• Haradinaj: The threat is present, we cannot work separately (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Regarding requests for measures against Serbia: EU will wait for the investigation before deciding (KiM radio, FoNet)
• Vucevic: Current communication with KFOR at the lowest, technical level (Danas, RTS)
• Office for KiM: The breaking of windows in Lipljan is an echo of the violence in the north of Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug)
• Kurti: Serbs need to be liberated (N1)
• Prosecution frees four Banjska incident suspects (N1)
• Entry to Banjska allowed (KiM Radio, Kosovo Online)
• Mijacic: After Banjska, the most important thing to stabilize the north, with international actors on the move (Kosov Online)
• SOC: We pray for the victims of Serbs and Albanians, we send our condolences, means not chosen for the disappearance of the people and the Church from Kosovo (KoSSev)

International:

• US envoy says Kosovo attack ‘coordinated and sophisticated’ (politico.eu)

Albanian Language Media:

• Svecla publishes video claiming to show Radoicic during attack in north (RFE)
• Svecla: Armed group planned to go south to the Iber River, “declare autonomy” (media)
• Rohde: Urgent need to continue dialogue talks, implementation of Ohrid deal (media)
• UK MP Kearns reacts to latest developments in north of Kosovo (media)
• Albanian PM Rama says “Belgrade blowing the fire of an armed conflict” (media)
• Kosovo Police deliver 100 food packages to citizens of Banjska (Koha)
• Abazovic: Situation in north of Kosovo can turn into wider conflict (Albanian Post)
• Dugolli: International community should take urgent steps against Serbia (media)
• Maliqi: KFOR, NATO negotiated with Belgrade to stop armed conflict in north (media)
• Former KSF commander: Operation to continue, there are more arms warehouses (KTV)
• Tahiri: Borrell, Lajcak must resign; Serbia must be suspended from integration (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stano: In the afternoon, a new meeting of EU ambassadors will be held on the situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Vucic requests KFOR to take over security in the north of Kosovo (NMagazin, media)
• Hill: Further steps are being considered after the events in Banjska (Beta, KiM radio)
• Kosovo minister says Serbian List’s Radoicic was in Banjska (N1, KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
• Tomorrow in Serbia Mourning Day due to the events in Kosovo (media)
• Serbian List: Three-day mourning in Serbian communities in Kosovo (Danas)
• Milicevic: The Serbian List has failed, less and less control and influence on the Serbs from the north (N1)
• Kontakt plus journalist, Ana Marija Ivkovic: The atmosphere in the north of Kosovo is worse (Insajder)
• Vorgucic: To me it is unbelievable that K-Serbs are behind this action (Insajder)
• Brnabic met with Vucic: Discussion on measures to be taken (Beta, N1)
• A vehicle set on fire in Leposavic last night (KoSSev)

International:

• State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller Addresses Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti’s Accusations, Violent Clashes, And Excessive Force Concerns (thepavlovictoday.com)
• Svecla: What we want to do is make sure everyone feels safe (BBC Newsnight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Body of another dead attacker found in Banjska (Koha)
• Blinken: Violent attacks on Kosovo Police near Banjska Monastery, unacceptable (media)
• “Weapons seized at Banjska Monastery will be presented today” (TeVe1)
• Another vehicle with weapons found in the north (Koha)
• Crisis in Banjska – Police find new evidence, including drone (Kallxo)
• Kurti: Bunjaku was killed by a professionally trained group supported by Serbia (media)
• Osmani awards slain police officer with “Hero of Kosovo” order (media)
• Sarrazin condemns “criminal and terrorist” attack on Kosovo Police (Albanian Post)
• Lajcak to meet French, German, Italian representatives today, Escobar will attend (RFE)
• “Arms seized in the north; terror group tried to camouflage as KFOR” (Indeksonline)
• Rohde calls on Serbian List to react against killing of Kosovo police officer (media)
• Vela: Vucic resorted to unprecedented aggression; he will fail (media)
• Lajcak: Cowardly acts of violence, against principles of peace and cooperation (media)
• Bogdanovic, Biserko comment on yesterday’s developments in north (Nacionale)
• Kanin: Kosovo is victim of attacks in north; Association favours Serbia (media)
• Kupchan: The attack in Kosovo was not spontaneous (Radio Free Europe)
• Maliqi: “Serb terrorists” wanted to frame massacre and blame Albanians (Dukagjini)
• Taravari: Kosovo can’t be another Ukraine, because it would mean World War III (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stano: A very dangerous situation happened in Kosovo, urgent de-escalation needed (Kosovo Online)
• Visoki Decani monastery warns against misinformation (KiM radio, N1)
• Vucic meets Bostan-Kharchenko, tells him ethnic cleansing is ongoing in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Sarrazin: We must have a successful dialogue (KiM radio)
• Brussels: Lajcak and Escobar with diplomats from France, Germany, and Italy (KiM radio, Tanjug)
• Elshani: Police are looking for uniformed attackers (KiM radio)
• Jarinje and Brnjak still closed for entry in Kosovo (N1)
• Believers still in Banjska monastery, citizens of North Macedonia went home (Kim Radio, Beta, N1)
• BETA: Injured near Banjska transferred to hospital in Novi Pazar (N1, nova.rs, KiM Radio, NMagazin)
• Attacker from Banjska underwent surgery in Pristina (N1)
• Due to incompetence of Serbian regime, Kosovo Serbs at mercy of Kurti, Freedom and Justice Party said (Beta, N1, KiM radio)
• Dacic: Kurti wants war (FoNet, Danas)
• Serbian Minister says events in northern Kosovo planned, conflict suits Kurti only (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
• Regional media: "The state of war", "terrorists" and "the spark that could ignite the region" (NMagazin, N1)
• Serbian citizen arrested in Montenegro suspected of war crimes in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, RTCG, N1)
• Post of Serbia: Post office in Banjska intruded, property damaged (RTS)

Opinion:

• Palokaj: “Terrorism cannot be a topic of the dialogue” (Koha)

International:

• Siege of Serb monastery in Kosovo ends after militants withdraw (Financial Times)
• Why Kosovo’s standoff with Serbs continues 15 years after statehood (Al Jazeera)
• Telekom Srbija wins Kosovo appeal (broadbendtvnews.com)