UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 13, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Dane Peter Due appointed head of UNMIK (media)
Clark’s advisor: Thaci did not have the authority to stop the violence (media)
Guri: No Konjufca-led government; we’re going to elections (media)
Brahimaj: We have no votes for a Konjufca government (media)
Osmani visits Institute for crimes committed during war in Kosovo (media)
Mustafa: Special Court, a great injustice, against Kosovo’s liberation (media)
Bislimi: Serbia is blocking funds for textbooks for Presevo Valley (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Peter Due from Denmark new UNMIK chief in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)
Djuric meets with von Beckerath (Tanjug)
Kamikaze drones "made in Gnjilane" - a marketing ploy with a clear political message (RTS, Kontakt plus radio)
EC on Minister’s statements on N1: All high level-officials must refrain from verbal attacks, threats against journalists (N1)

International:

Serbia confiscates and withdraws from market 900 souvenirs depicting Serbia without Kosovo (Euronews Albania)
Kosovan soldier denies rape and sexual assault (BBC)

Humanitarian:

Power plants main source of increased pollution: the emission of polluting gases in Kosovo increased by 26 percent (KiM radio)

Albanian Language Media

Dane Peter Due appointed head of UNMIK (media)

The UN General Secretary announced on Thursday that Dane Peter Due has been appointed as the head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Due will succeed Caroline Ziader of Lebanon. Guterres congratulated Ziadeh for her “dedicated efforts to advance peace and stability in Kosovo and the region, as well as for her effective leadership of the Mission. “She had taken over the leadership of UNMIK in 2021.

According to the UNMIK announcement, Due brings to this position 30 years of experience in international peace and security. “Since 2019, he has served as Director for Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. Previously, he was Director for Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (2015-2019). Due also served as Secretary General’s Representative and Head of the United Nations Office in Belgrade (2013- 2015), and as a Political Affairs Officer with UNMIK in Pristina. In New York, his positions have also included Chief of Staff/Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (2009-2013), Team Leader for West Africa (2008-2009), and Team Leader for Europe and Latin America (2008),” the announcement reads.

Several news websites note that at the October meeting of the UN Security Council on Kosovo, the representative of the United States, Jeff Bartos, reiterated the call for UNMIK’s closure, emphasizing that there is no security crisis in Kosovo.

Clark’s advisor: Thaci did not have the authority to stop the violence (media)

Michal Durkee, advisor to former NATO Commander for Europe, Wesley Clark, in his testimony in the trial against former KLA leaders in the Hague, said that Hashim Thaci did not have the authority or the competence to stop the violence which occurred in the summer of 1999. “He did not have the competency or the authority to do that at the time,” he said, adding that there was no command structure that Thaci could have used to stop the violence.

Durkee said that they had the impression that there was no consolidated chain of commands that could give orders. “We had this impression that there was no solid structure or consolidated chain of command, for some one to have a high-level position in Pristina and to give orders which could then lead to certain actions or operations in the operational zones. The operational zone commanders had considerable autonomy and there was willingness on their side to act on their own when they saw appropriate … So, there was no consolidated chain of command in the sense of direct coordination like we see in western armies,” he said.

Durkee said that Hashim Thaci was one of the people who called for a multiethnic Kosovo. He also recalled that Thaci held a speech in 1999 calling for an end to the violence.

Guri: No Konjufca-led government; we’re going to elections (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Paris Guri, in an interview with Klan Kosova, said that there will not be a new government led by Vetevendosje’s Glauk Konjufca. “The mandate given to Glauk Konjufca [to form a new government] came as a result of an attempt to buy time and to change the date of elections and never as a result of trying to find a solution, because on the day he got the mandate Konjufca told the media that he is not ready to offer a cooperation agreement or coalition with the other parties,” he said.

Guri said that the LDK does not agree with getting closer with the Vetevendosje Movement. “The Vetevendosje Movement has made several invitations to the Democratic League of Kosovo and we have made it clear that we will not cooperate with the Vetevendosje Movement in this governing format,” he said.

Brahimaj: We have no votes for a Konjufca government (media)

MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Lahi Brahimaj ruled out any scenario where AAK MPs would vote in favor of a new government led by Vetevendosje’s Glauk Konjufca. In an interview with RTV21, Brahimaj said that Konjufca’s nomination is a scenario by VV leader Albin Kurti to delay the formation of new institutions. “Proposing Glauk Konjufca was the latest deception by Albin Kurti to buy more time. Under no circumstance is Glauk Konjufca interested in getting even 57 votes and let alone 61 votes. Kurti is not a person that would tolerate a colleague getting more votes than he does. So is this just buying time to continue delaying the formation of institutions, without accountability and without a parliament. The AAK has no votes for Konjufca, and just like the other parties have said, there is no willingness to vote in favor of Konjufca. Everyone said after meeting the president [Vjosa Osmani] that elections are the best solution,” he argued.

Osmani visits Institute for crimes committed during war in Kosovo (media)

Most news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani visited today the Institute for crimes committed during the war in Kosovo. In a post on X, she said that the institute “is a place where the truth of the most painful chapter in our history is preserved with care and conviction. With thousands of testimonies collected and safeguarded, this institution ensures that the crimes committed by Serbia against the people of Kosovo are neither forgotten nor erased”.

Osmani also said that in her meeting with Institute Director Atdhe Hetemi and his team, she stressed that “justice for our children, for our women, and for every victim of the war is not only a legal obligation but also a moral duty. We must continue to remember”.

Mustafa: Special Court, a great injustice, against Kosovo’s liberation (media)

Former KLA area commander Rrustem Mustafa said in a Facebook post that “the Specialist Chambers is a great injustice” and that “it was ordered against the liberation of Kosovo”. Calling for an end to the injustice, he said “the truth is coming to light: the Special Court was not justice, it was an ordered injustice. It is time to speak with dignity, with consciousness and courage about our truth. Kosovo cannot remain hostage of fabrications and selective justice. We are the country of a clean fight, and our future cannot be built on injustices”.

Bislimi: Serbia is blocking funds for textbooks for Presevo Valley (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, said today that he has notified EU Special Representative Peter Sorensen “about a sensitive matter that has now taken the character of a systematic obstacle against the rights of Albanians in Presheve, Bujanoc and Medvedja”. He said that 3,650 Albanian children in the Valley are using 35,448 school textbooks financed by the Kosovo government, following an official request by the Albanian National Council in Serbia. “Our government has fully and timely met all its legal and institutional obligations. However, the respective payment of €304,511, destined for the supply with the textbooks, supporting international advocacy activities and the institutional functioning of the Albanian National Council, has been blocked three times by the receiving bank in Serbia. In all three cases, the transfer has been rejected, without any legal, technical or regulative reason. This is not a technical error. It is an intentional administrative model aimed at stopping legitimate and transparent support for the Albanian community in the Valley. The same approach has been noticed in the cancellation of a decision by the Albanian National Council for the program of agricultural subsidies for Albanian farmers, although all legal procedures and verifications were completed. These actions are not isolated cases but an indicator of a structured approach for administrative obstruction. Kosovo’s institutions have made available to the European Union all documents: SWIFT communications, returns from the banks and the documentation of government decisions. Kosovo remains committed to the process of dialogue, but it cannot remain indifferent when administrative mechanisms are used to violate the rights of Albanians in Presheve, Bujanoc and Medvedja,” Bislimi said.

Serbian Language Media

Peter Due from Denmark new UNMIK chief in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)

Peter N. Due from Denmark is a new chief of the UNMIK Mission in Kosovo, KoSSev portal reported citing announcement from the Mission.

“United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Peter N. Due of Denmark as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)”, the Mission said in a statement.

“Mr. Due succeeds Caroline Ziadeh of Lebanon, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated efforts to further peace and stability in Kosovo and the region, and her effective leadership of the Mission.

Mr. Due brings to the position 30 years of wide-ranging experience in international peace and security. Since 2019, he has served as the Director for Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. Previously, he was the Director for Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (2015-2019). Mr. Due also served as Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office in Belgrade (2013-2015), and he was a Political Affairs Officer with UNMIK in Pristina. In New York, his positions have also included Chief of Office/Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (2009-2013), Team Leader for West Africa (2008-2009) and Team Leader for Europe and Latin America (2008). In addition to his assignments with the United Nations, Mr. Due served with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Copenhagen and in Eritrea.

Mr. Due holds a BA and MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom; a D.E.S. (M.A.) in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland; and a Cand. Mag. (M.SC.) in Social Science and Philosophy from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In addition to his native Danish, he speaks English, French, and German”, the statement also said, portal reported.

Djuric meets with von Beckerath (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met with the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath on Wednesday, Tanjug news agency reported.

"I emphasised that the EU acknowledging Serbia’s fulfilment of all the criteria for opening Cluster 3 gives us even greater motivation to remain committed to the reform process", Djuric wrote in a post on X.

"Moreover, in the months ahead, such an achievement would further encourage us to work closely with all member states to present the arguments and reasons why it is in the interest of not only Serbia, but also the European Union, to send a strong signal by opening this Cluster”, Djuric added in a post.

Kamikaze drones "made in Gnjilane" - a marketing ploy with a clear political message (RTS, Kontakt plus radio)

RTS portal reported today that the first military drone factory, including kamikaze drones, opened in Gnjilane on November 8. While Albin Kurti boasts that sophisticated aircraft with a range of up to 20 kilometers will be built and sold there, analysts point out that now the whole story about "made in Kosovo" drones is in the realm of marketing and 3D design.

Analysts, however, warn that the situation is completely different for the serial production of "kamikaze drones" because most of the components can be purchased on the free market and can be ordered without any problems via AliExpress.

The RTS portal tried to get an answer from KFOR on how the opening of a military drone factory is in line with their mission based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. According to RTS, by the time of publishing the text, no answer was received from KFOR.

At the presentation of the first in a series of "made in Kosovo" drones of the "Skiferi" brand, Kurti showed two to the media. The first is the "K1" kamikaze drone, which he explained can reach a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour and an altitude of 2,500 meters. He said that the second, more advanced version of the "Skiferi" drone can reach a height of 5,000 meters and an operational range of 20 kilometers, with a speed of 270 kilometers per hour.

According to available data, the factory was created based on the cooperation between Future Minds Academy and MIGA SkyShield MAR.

Two innovations of the School for Young Talents in Gnjilane

The School for Young Talents from Gnjilane is part of a chain of international schools, and back in September 2024, it presented two of its innovations via its Facebook page: one smaller drone and a model of another, reported RTS.

"Soon, the next big thing will be open? Fully autonomous, guided by artificial intelligence? Are you ready, Kosovo?", they stated with two photos of the prototype.

According to RTS, much more interesting to the public was the second co-founder company - the financier of the entire project.

Six types of drones

The official website of "MIGA Skyshield" states that it is a seller of "Skifteri" products and that it "brings the most advanced drone technology to defense organizations, security agencies and tactical operations teams around the world". "We specialize in providing military-grade unmanned aerial vehicles that offer unparalleled performance, reliability and operational capabilities for the most demanding missions", reported RTS, citing the company's description.

The website presents six types of drones: MIGA M1, a military tactical drone, MIGA K1, a combat drone, as well as the MIGA FPV - 10 tactical drone, MIGA VTOL - a vertical take-off and landing system, the "next generation" combat drone MIGA FPV - 5 and the MIGA ISR - 1 drone for intelligence services.

Such a product range would not be surprising if the company and its facilities had not started operating just over a month ago.

According to the Pristina Business Registration Agency, "MIGA Skyshield" was registered on October 1 of this year.

According to RTS, the register states that it has only one owner, Muhamet Ajrullahu, and that the founding capital is 750,000 euros.

The production of military combat vehicles was stated as the main activity, and only in second place is "the production of aircraft and spacecraft, as well as similar machines".

Also, secondary activities include the production of technical and industrial textiles, the production of parquet floors, construction carpentry, wooden containers, and newspaper printing.

Radic: For now, we only see 3D prints, models, presentations of wishes

For military analyst Aleksandar Radic, most of the presentation of military drones is marketing, but with a clear political message. According to him the message is 'We are here to protect you from Serbs'. However, he is not enthusiastic about the offered drone models.

"A lot of it is actually a marketing trick for now. The drones that are shown, like 'Skafateri', are 3D prints, models, presentations of wishes," claims Radic. He added it is "quite unusual" that a startup company from Gnjilane can immediately produce the highest class of aircraft that can stay in the air for up to 24 hours.

"For something like that, flying relays with high payloads are needed. This is the world's largest class of drones and only a few countries in the world can do that," explains Radic. He points out that the mass production of kamikaze drones based on the "Skydagger" technology, the drones that Pristina recently received from Turkey, is a completely different story.

Parts for such aircraft, he says, can arrive without any problems via AliExpress.

"Pristina's desire to create its own military industry"

He estimates behind everything is Pristina's strong desire to create its own military industry.

"Under normal circumstances, the authorities in Pristina should not support either private or government-funded actions related to the procurement of weapons. They have enough for what the KSF should do, they have received donations in light armored vehicles, basically military-police equipment, from the Americans and Germans. The Turks are supplying them with heavier weapons, and that should be an end in the development and ambitions of Pristina. But, in the shadows, there is a strong desire to create domestic military production, to go a step further", this analyst emphasizes.

“Serbia has reason to fear because there is strong pressure in Kosovo focused on the Serbian issue,’’ this analyst believes.

"The idea of developing a military component, of equipping it with weapons and military equipment of both foreign and now apparently domestic origin, given the boasting about opening a factory in Gnjilane for the production of kamikaze drones. That is actually a problem. There is an idea, and when you have the funds, the idea turns into a real danger," warns Radic.

Asked to what extent the opening of such a military factory, as well as the production of kamikaze drones, is in accordance with the responsibilities of the KFOR mission, but also with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Radic said that both the Resolution and the Military-Technical Agreement implied ''the disarmament of Albanian rebel forces'', and that this turned later into "taking a word for it''. He adds that ''KSF are framed in the law" and recognized only as a "formation to support civilian authorities".

"When Pristina passed a new law in 2018 that defined the KSF as an army through the tasks of protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Kosovo and Metohija, KFOR took the position that this does not apply to them. They respect the previous regulations that stipulate that Albanians in Kosovo can only possess light weapons. There is no domain anywhere that would recognize the military industry, and drones are not recognized. Namely, today, short-range kamikaze drones, no matter how dangerous they are, we treat them as a means belonging to the infantry, they are light means. And, at the time when Resolution 1244 was written in 1999, of course, drones were not recognized as a means," Radic specifies.

How many military factories, as well as kamikaze drones, are in the domain of KFOR, which emphasizes in every statement that its mandate is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244? According to RTS, they have been trying to get the answer to this question since the beginning of the week. In several emails sent to the KFOR press service, RTS reported, answers were asked, as well as the question of whether they were concerned that the production of such weapons could be used against their members.

Vujinovic: There is reason for caution

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic says it is clear to everyone that military factories in Kosovo, and especially the production of kamikaze drones, are not in accordance with Resolution 1244 and the KFOR mission, but that does not concern those who wrote and voted for this resolution.

"Just as there should be no Kosovo Security Force, just as there should be no armed force of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, so there should be no military industry of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The fact that it exists tells us two things. First, that it has the full support of the Western allies who only voted for Resolution 1244, and yet they do not refer to any legal norms of international law", said Vujinovic. He sees the opening of the military drone factory both as a "normal sequence of events" of the institutions in Pristina in their efforts to become an armed force, but also as a clear political message to Serbia. He added that it must be taken into account who was supporting this. ''We are aware that the support comes primarily from Turkey and other Western allies of Kosovo, so we should also interpret this as a political message to Serbia,'' he said. There is a reason to be cautious not afraid.

EC on Minister’s statements on N1: All high level-officials must refrain from verbal attacks, threats against journalists (N1)

All high level-officials must refrain from verbal attacks and threats against journalists, the European Commission (EC) told N1 in response to Serbian Information Minister Boris Bratina’s statements that N1, Nova, and Radio Free Europe “should not exist on the airwaves within the country’s territory”.

“The position of the Commission is very clear: independent media are a public watchdog, holding those in power accountable. They are a key pillar of European democracy. Journalists should be able to work freely everywhere in the European Union – this lies at the heart of media freedom”, a Commission spokesperson said in response to N1’s question about the statements from Minister Bratina. The European Commission emphasized that respect for media freedoms is expected from all European Union candidate countries, including Serbia.

“All high level-officials must refrain from verbal attacks and threats against journalists. The Commission's position on media freedom in Serbia is clearly outlined in our latest Enlargement report on Serbia. It finds that although Serbia amended its media legislation to align further with the EU acquis and European standards, there was backsliding during the reporting period in these areas”, the EC said.

International

Serbia confiscates and withdraws from market 900 souvenirs depicting Serbia without Kosovo (Euronews Albania)

The Serbian Ministry of Trade announced that it has confiscated around 900 souvenir magnets and suspended their sale because the map of Serbia shown on them did not include Kosovo.

“The magnets caused concern among Serbian citizens and were seen as a recognition of Kosovo’s independence,” Serbian media reported.

“The inspection was carried out on November 10 at a store owned by Chinese nationals, following a complaint from citizens. During the inspection, it was determined that goods were being sold in violation of regulations, and as a result, 871 magnets and keychains bearing Serbia’s national symbols were withdrawn from circulation, along with nine magnets shaped like Serbia that did not include Kosovo on the map,” the Serbian ministry’s statement said.

Kosovan soldier denies rape and sexual assault (BBC)

A Kosovan soldier helping train personnel from the Ukrainian army has denied three counts of sexual offences. Bali Hoxha, 28, of West Tofts Camp in Thetford, Norfolk, is charged with rape and two charges of sexual assault against a woman.

The alleged attack happened along a footpath between Prince of Wales Road and the Riverside Retail Park at about 23:30 on 17 September.

Hoxha was remanded in custody at Norwich Crown Court until his trial on 7 April, which is expected to last five days. Mr Hoxha is employed by the Kosovan army but contracted to train Ukrainian soldiers based at the British Army training ground near Thetford, under a contract with the Ministry of Defence.