UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 4, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: I demanded accountability for ongoing threats to Kosovo’s security (media)
Kurti meets O’Brien, “focus on November 29 terrorist attack” (media)
Osmani and Costa discuss Iber-Lepenci, Banjska, and EU measures (media)
Maqedonci: Serbia’s policies aimed at destabilizing Kosovo’s security (media)
Rohde: Only candidates that recognize each other can get into EU (media)
Kearns: UK must stand resolutely with Kosovo against terrorism (media)
Kusari-Lila skeptical about progress in next chief negotiators’ meeting (media)
Three municipalities face water cuts again due to water canal attack (media)
“Groups of local Serbs in north could be working for Russian intelligence” (media)
Mitrovica North, War Crimes Institute sign memorandum of cooperation (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Kosovo, election campaign in a ‘state of war’ (Danas)
Head of Serbian Democracy Leposavic Municipal Board files request to Kosovo police to reduce presence in front of schools and health facilities (social media)
Keys of Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok confiscated, they appeal to international community to help resolve issue (Alternativna.com, social media)
RTS: Who is mining (sabotaging) peace in northern Kosovo?
Vucic meets with Kos in Brussels (Tanjug)
Vucic: I will not change policy on Russia sanctions (Tanjug)
12-hour restrictions in water supply in Mitrovica and Zvecan (KoSSev)
Hearing in Srdjan Lazovic’s case held in Pristina, he pleaded not guilty (media)
Investigation opened into sexual harassment report in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Opinion:

Illicit finance: Western Balkans must act to clean up dirty money problems (BIRN)
Green Deal, we have a problem (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

Kallxo.com crew threatened while reporting Kisnica mine power outage (Kallxo)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: I demanded accountability for ongoing threats to Kosovo security (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, wrote on social platform X about the meeting he had on Tuesday with the new President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.

“Had a productive meeting with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa. I congratulated him on his new role and reaffirmed Kosova’s commitment to deepening relations with the EU and advancing our membership aspirations. During our bilateral meeting and joint dinner with the Western Balkan Six, HR/VP Kaja Kallas and DG Near Marta Kos, I raised concerns about the continued intimidation and threats to our security, including the recent terrorist attack on our critical infrastructure, and called for accountability. Regional cooperation must be grounded in good-neighborly relations, which require mutual recognition and respect, accountability, and a shared commitment to peace,” Kurti wrote.

Kurti meets O’Brien, “focus on November 29 terrorist attack” (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O’Brien today. A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that “topics of discussion included bilateral relations and current developments of mutual interest, with focus on the November 29 terrorist attack against the critical infrastructure of the Republic of Kosovo. The Prime Minister shared with O’Brien the details of the latest terrorist attack on the critical infrastructure, namely the Iber Lepenci canal and the reaction of state institutions to repair the damages and ensure supply with essential services. The November 29 attack was an attack against the civilian population because it threatened to leave over half of the population without electricity and water”.

Kurti highlighted the importance of arresting and extraditing Milan Radoicic who claimed responsibility for the September 2023 attack against Kosovo Police.

Kurti also thanked O’Brien and the United States of America for their support to Kosovo in investigating the attack on Iber Lepenci canal and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Osmani and Costa discuss Iber-Lepenci, Banjska, and EU measures (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, was received on the eve of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels, by the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa. As stated in the Presidency's announcement, Osmani discussed developments in the field of security, including the recent attack ‘on Kosovo's vital infrastructure, an attack that was intended to leave a large part of Kosovo's citizens without water, electricity, heating and disruptions to the telecommunications system.’

She presented to President Costa evidence of Serbia's connections to this attack, as well as to the attack of September last year, which was an act of aggression against Kosovo. She further added that the chief terrorist who had implemented the orders of official Belgrade for attacks on Kosovo, namely Milan Radoicic, is still at large and this proves Serbia's lack of readiness for responsibility and accountability for acts of aggression against Kosovo, noted the press release.

"President Osmani expressed Kosovo's full readiness to cooperate with international partners in the investigation of the terrorist act against vital infrastructure in Kosovo, while thanking the EU, the USA and other NATO countries, and beyond for the solidarity shown and the assistance offered. She emphasized that it is very important that, in addition to the investigation, our joint work also focuses on preventing new attacks," the Presidency's announcement states.

Maqedonci: Serbia’s policies aimed at destabilizing Kosovo’s security (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, who attended today the ministerial meeting of the Adriatic Charter Initiative in Tirana, Albania, said that Kosovo is ready to become a full-fledged member of the initiative. “In my address I again raised the issue of Serbia’s hegemonistic and chauvinistic approach toward Kosovo and its refusal to assume responsibility for the September 23, 2024, attack in Banje, and failing to cooperate to bring the perpetrators to justice. Serbia’s policies which are aimed at destabilizing the security of Kosovo, and a result of which was the November 29 terrorist attack against the Iber Lepenci canal, threaten the security of not only Kosovo but the region as whole, causing an insecure environment from threats that undermine peace in and the region and every attempt for good neighborly relations in the Western Balkans,” Maqedonci said in a Facebook post.

Rohde: Only candidates that recognize each other can get into EU (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, shared a post on X by the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas about her meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and her remarks that “the only way to EU membership is through normalisation of their relations, on the basis of the Ohrid agreement”. Rohde said in his post: “Exactly. Like Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it already in 2022 during his visit in the region: Only those candidates that recognize one another can get EU-membership”.

Kearns: UK must stand resolutely with Kosovo against terrorism (media)

UK MP Alicia Kearns said in a post on X on Tuesday that “the terrorist attack on the Iber Lepenci waterway in Kosovo was a clear attempt to inflict harm on civilians through the destruction of critical infrastructure. The failure of Serbia to arrest and deport Milan Radoicic and others responsible for the Banjska attack encourages others to follow their lead, believing they will find safe haven following such acts. The UK must stand resolutely with Kosovo against terrorism”.

Kusari-Lila skeptical about progress in next chief negotiators’ meeting (media)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, in an interview with Kosovapress today said that she is skeptical about any progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue although a meeting between Kosovo and Serbia chief negotiators has been scheduled for December 17. She argued that it is difficult at the end of the mandate of the Kosovo government and the mandate of EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak to have a major turning point toward the implementation of the Basic Agreement from Brussels and the implementation annex from Ohrid reached last year.

“There is no progress from the side of Serbia or a change in their approach in the dialogue. Therefore, if it [the meeting] has to do with an agreement between the parties to agree on the path forward I suspect we can expect something very positive, as a result of what we have seen earlier. I have said this before, it is well known where the problem lies and that relates to the implementation of the agreements and the delays and violations. The address is in Belgrade and the pressure should be on Belgrade”.

Kusari-Lila said that Kosovo’s institutions and municipalities must be involved in drafting the statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “The solution is always that Kosovo’s institutions must be engaged in preparing the draft, the agreement and the assessment of circumstances on the ground. Above all, this process is hardly imaginable before the local elections scheduled for autumn 2025. The municipalities must also be involved and have genuine discussions on how to move processes forward … the Association is an issue of Kosovo. it is true that it was an agreement reached in the dialogue, but the enforcement and general competencies and obligations are for Kosovo,” she argued.

Three municipalities face water cuts again due to water canal attack (media)

Three municipalities in Kosovo – Mitrovica South, Vushtrri and Skenderaj – will face water cuts again as a result of damages caused by the attack against the Iber Lepenc water canal. The water supply company did not say how long the water cuts will last.

“Groups of local Serbs in north could be working for Russian intelligence” (media)

Lulzim Peci, director of the Pristina-based research institute KIPRED, said in a debate on RTV21 on Tuesday that the situation in the north of Kosovo will not be stable until Serbia dissolves the so-called Civil Protection. “I believe we won’t see a stable situation in the north until Serbia completely dissolves the Civil Protection and its byproduct the Northern Brigade. These are the two key elements for stability in the north. Certain groups of local Serbs could be working directly for Russian intelligence. We need to take this into account too. When you look at all the weapons and uniforms that have been found, and there is certainly more, these all cost money and they were financed by someone,” Peci argued.

Mitrovica North, War Crimes Institute sign memorandum of cooperation (media)

Mayor of Mitrovica North, Erden Atiq, met with representatives of the Institute for Crimes committed in War, and talked about the importance of collecting documents and evidence from the period of war. Atiq said they signed a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen preserving historical memory and documenting crimes that affected the communities. “We are committed together with the Institute to secure every evidence and for every voice to find the right place in national archives by preserving collective memory for the generations to come,” Atiq said.

Serbian Language Media

Kosovo, election campaign in a ‘state of war’ (Danas)

Belgrade-based independent daily Danas in an article published yesterday writes that on streets of north Kosovo there is a large number of members of Kosovo special units, who sometimes “mistakenly” enter the bedroom with long-barreled guns. Arrests, investigations, searches for weapons, long-barreled guns around students’ homes, accusations that Belgrade is responsible for the recent explosion that damaged the Ibar-Lepenac canal. In a situation similar to “a state of war’”, as one of the interlocutors described it, a pre-election campaign for parliamentary elections in Kosovo is taking place.

The daily said Serbian List President Zlatan Elek, did not answer Danas’ calls, while Aleksandar Arsenijevic from Serbian Democracy and Milija Bisevac from the Serbian People’s Movement, said this is the biggest crisis so far, that Serbs are suffering from Pristina’s repression, adding elections are currently not in their focus, compared to how much is repairing the damage that their compatriots have suffered.

“This is the biggest crisis so far and of course it can deepen”, Aleksandar Arsenijevic told Danas. “As we can see, we constantly hear that someone has been arrested, released, arrested, searched, so the question is how long it can last”, he stated. Arsenijevic perceives the increased presence of Kosovo police officers in the north of Kosovo as “pre-election folklore of Vetëvendosje”, the party whose leader is Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“Judging by the pre-election folklore with police officers on the streets, it is likely that this will continue until the election, and the question is then whether we will get into a situation where the people would go through lines of special units to go to the polls to vote” he said, warning that this would certainly affect the response of people.

Kolasin resident, as the residents of Zubin Potok are called, Milija Bisevac, co-president of the Serbian People’s Movement, told Danas that the recent explosion has deepened the crisis that has been going on for two years among the Serbian population. The Ibar-Lepenac canal is located precisely in Zubin Potok, where the majority of raids by special units on the houses of the local population, looking for weapons and suspects for the explosion, take place.

“That incident happened unexpectedly, which we certainly condemn, but it can significantly affect the election process, as well as the will of the citizens here. This is another excuse to send in special units, which are available at every turn. There are raids to Serb homes, which further increases tensions among Serbs”, Bisevac said.

As for such actions by Pristina, they are, he opined, expected, given that the focus of Kurti’s campaign is “taming the untamed” north of Kosovo.

“We, as a people, believe that it is not the control, but a form of repression in order to make the people move out of here. We heard from President Vucic that there are chances that the Serbian List will be declared ‘terrorist’, such moves can further destabilize the situation. These are stories that we have heard several times so far. Future actions are fully expected in order to keep the north of Kosovo in the focus of Kurti's campaign in which he is a great conqueror, who conquered all of Kosovo”, he said.

Zoran Savic from NGO Aktiv told Danas that February 9 seems extremely far away for Kosovo Serbs, because until then, the ruling party can “pressure” the entire North even more, all for the purpose of the pre-election campaign. Savic opined that Self-determination uses the north of Kosovo in the campaign because “they have nothing else to offer to their potential voters”.

Savic describes the current situation in northern Kosovo as “instilling discipline” and added that everything resembles “a state of war”.

“The authorities led by Albin Kurti and Vetëvendosje are, as expected, using this crisis as part of a campaign to “discipline the north” whose main actors are Kosovo Serbs. On the ground, the situation resembles a state of war - special units patrol armed with long-barrelled guns, they are present every fifty meters, while concrete measures such as a state of emergency or a curfew have not been declared”, he said.

“Such excessive presence, often accompanied by excessive use of force, further increases tensions and deepens mistrust, both towards the police and the government in Pristina, institutions whose approach citizens in the north characterize as ‘hostile’”, Savic pointed out.

He noted that the actions of the Kosovo police in recent days further deepen the perception that these moves are aimed at targeting the Serbian community, adding that for example in Bosniak Mahala where he lives special police actually took the role of traffic police, stopping and searching the vehicles, mainly those with Serbian license plates.

Savic also said that the ruling clique in Pristina and their supporters simultaneously increase the tension with rhetoric in which between the lines can be interpreted as “conquest of the north” and a narrative that labels the entire Serbian community as “terrorist”.

Head of Serbian Democracy Leposavic Municipal Board files request to Kosovo police to reduce presence in front of schools and health facilities (social media)

On Tuesday evening, Serbian Democracy informed the public that the President of the Leposavic Municipal Board Vladimir Radosavljevic and the Secretary of the same board Slađana Babić submitted a request to the police to reduce the presence of their units with long-barreled guns in front of educational and health institutions.

In the video that was shared in the same post, Radosavljević is seen recording several separate instances of presence of KP with long-barrelled guns in the vicinity of schools in Leposavic centre during the break, when children go to buy breakfast or lunch.

The video can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D2Sk4e9KF/

Radosavljevic later said that “after the previous video, the secretary of the municipal board of Leposavić Slađana Babić and I went to the police station to submit the request on reduction of police presence near educational and health institutions, as well as to have them additionally explain to us the increased presence of the police and whether a state of emergency is in fact happening.

In a long conversation with the police commander, we were assured that there would be no police presence near the schools during classes and during extracurricular activities. However, despite this, he emphasized that the orders on the increased presence of the police (with long-barrelled guns) came from the higher-ups (superiors) and that he cannot influence that. We asked him to forward the request of the citizens of Leposavić municipality to his superiors.

In the meantime, we appeal to all fellow residents to report the presence of special police units with long-barrelled guns near schools (especially in Sočanica, because they were stationed there at the very entrance to the school yard), as well as any irregularity in the work and behavior of the police”.

The second video is available at: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19fuiWz9mR/

Keys of Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok confiscated, they appeal to international community to help resolve issue (Alternativna.com, social media)

On December 2, Kosovo police confiscated the keys of a Regional Innovation Centre in Zubin Potok, without delivering official documentation or formal notification related to this decision, says the letter of the Innovation Centre and the Local Youth Action Council form Zubin Potok sent to the international community in Kosovo, including the embassies in Pristina, that Alternativna.com portal had insight it.

They requested support from international community representatives in order to resolve this situation.

“This situation severely threatens our work and mission to encourage young people to build a better future through knowledge and innovations. We believe all necessary steps must be undertaken so the activities of our organisation can continue unimpeded”, they said in a letter.

Alternativna.com has sent questions related to this situation to the Kosovo police in the region north, but they directed the portal to send the questions to the central unit of Kosovo police and spokesperson Baki Kelani.

Alternativna.com asked Kosovo police why the keys of Innovation Centre had been taken away and if the keys would be returned and when. No response came by the time this news was published.

The letter is available at end of the article at: https://alternativna.com/26511-2/

RTS: Who is mining (sabotaging) peace in northern Kosovo?

Serbian MP Milovan Drecun told Takovska 10 RTS talk show that now one can say much more freely that the mining of a water canal in the north of Kosovo is a “false flag” operation. Dragisa Mijacic from InTER civil society organizations recalled that WikiLeaks cables repeatedly stated information about the strategic importance of the canal. Aleksandra Joksimovic from the Center for Foreign Policy emphasized that the international community did not accept the vocabulary used by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in relation to this incident. State Secretary at the Ministry of Information Milos Garic believes that the arrest of Dusan Milanovic, owner of the company which founded Kosovo Online portal, speaks to the essence of the story, which is to actually, as he said, instill fear and panic among Serbs.

Drecun said no one expected the canal to be mined except for those who planned to do so, and that now one can say much more freely it was a “false flag” operation. He emphasized that Albin Kurti’s key story is untrue - that it was military explosives from the Serbian Army’s warehouse and that it is not available on the black market.

He explained it is extremely difficult to determine what explosives are involved, since this is done by expert laboratories, and no one can say after a few hours or after one or two days which explosive was used.

“They have the capacity to carry out such an action. Ukrainian soldiers are trained within the so-called Kosovo Security Force. They are sent to the territory of Kosovo and are trained in demining. Members of the British army have been training KSF members for years in mining and demining. So, they certainly have experts who can carry out a controlled explosion”, Drecun explained.

Mijacic recalled that even in the WikiLeaks cables from 2006 and 2007, information was repeatedly presented about the strategic importance of the channel and what would happen if there was any sabotage. “This is not an unknown story. This story is always discussed in meetings between representatives of the international community, primarily KFOR, and representatives, Serbian politicians who lead the municipality of Zubin Potok. Every first meeting that takes place when someone takes office in the municipality of Zubin Potok always begins with the story that the canal must not be touched”, he pointed out.

“No one has ever caused damage to the canal itself in the last 25 years”, Mijacic pointed out, and asked why this happened right now, at a critical moment.

Vucic: I will not change policy on Russia sanctions (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in Brussels on Tuesday evening he would not change Belgrade's policy of not introducing sanctions against Russia, Tanjug news agency reported.

Asked by reporters if imposing the sanctions was the EU's condition for opening Cluster 3 in the accession talks with Serbia, he said meeting the set conditions was important for Serbia but that he would not change the policy on that issue.

"If we introduced sanctions on Russia, all doors would be open to us, if we introduced the sanctions and recognized Kosovo as independent, anything would be possible, but we are not interested, and I will not change the policy that we have adopted. So far, it has proved to be a good policy, and I do not care what anyone is going to criticize me for", Vucic said, adding that he had been in politics for too long to change his beliefs under pressure from anyone.

Vucic meets with Kos in Brussels (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with new EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos in Brussels on Tuesday.

"A good, cordial first conversation with Mrs Marta Kos, whom I congratulated on being named new commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy in the European Commission. We discussed the acceleration of Serbia's European path, implementation of the European Growth Plan for the Western Balkans", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

He added that he had informed Kos of the situation in Serbia, reform activities and results, especially in the economy. "I noted that Serbia wants to best seize the new momentum in the enlargement process and that it is working intensively on all reforms necessary for faster European integration of our country", Vucic also wrote.

12-hour restrictions in water supply in Mitrovica and Zvecan (KoSSev)

North Mitrovica, Zvecan and South Mitrovica, as well as neighboring villages will be without water supply in the period from 18.00 this afternoon to 6.00 in the morning, KoSSev portal reported.

The news had been confirmed to the portal by director of Public Water Supply Company Ibar, Zoran Vucinic.

“This is information I have and that I received from the south. They told us that from 18.00 to 6.00 in the morning there will be water supply restrictions. It is about Mitrovica, Zvecan and neighboring villages”, he said.

Hearing in Srdjan Lazovic’s case held in Pristina, he pleaded not guilty (media)

A hearing in the case of Srdjan Lazovic, from Leposavic, accused of allegedly committing war crimes in the village of Ponorac in Malisevo, was held today at the Basic Court in Pristina, Kosovo Online portal reported.

Lazovic pleaded not guilty for the accusations he is charged with.

Lazovic was arrested at Jarinje crossing point on June 26, 2024. Indictment against him was raised on November 19 of the same year.

Investigation opened into sexual harassment report in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Kosovo police said it received a report of sexual harassment from September of this year, KoSSev portal reported. The report was filed by a female person who said that on September 12, two persons unknown to her harassed her from a passing vehicle.

The police said it opened the investigation and the case of “sexual harassment”.

Opinion

Illicit finance: Western Balkans must act to clean up dirty money problems (BIRN)

Opinion piece by Dardan Kocani.

National laws may be compliant with international standards but weak oversight, corruption and cash economies hamper an effective battle against money-laundering, says the author of a new report on illicit finance in the Western Balkans.

Western Balkan countries are still struggling to combat money-laundering and illicit finance. National legislation is largely compliant with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force, the international intergovernmental organisation tackling money-laundering; none of the Western Balkan countries are currently on the Task Force’s “grey list” of states that require increased monitoring. However, structural deficiencies remain.

Weak oversight, high levels of corruption and cash-based economies are some key enablers of money-laundering. The financial sector in the Western Balkans is the main contributor to the suspicious transaction reports sent to these countries’ financial intelligence units.

Between 2019 and 2023, nearly 22,000 suspicious transaction reports in the region originated from financial institutions. Banks contributed the largest share, followed by fast money transfer services. Serbia recorded the highest number of suspicious transaction reports in the region, followed by Albania and Kosovo.