UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 24, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kosovo leaders remember police sergeant killed during Banjska attack (media)
Stano: EU reiterates call for swift prosecution of those responsible (media)
Hovenier: Perpetrators and all those involved in horrific crime must be held fully accountable (media)
EU Ambassador Orav pays his respects to Afrim Bunjaku (media)
German Embassy: Radoicic free in Serbia, although he is behind the crime (RTK)
Elshani: Situation in north compared to last year is like night and day (media)
Weapons and confiscations; a history of police actions in north of Kosovo (RFE)
Kosovo PM Kurti’s interview with the Financial Times (media)
Shahini: Kosovo will lift ban on Serbian goods, but trying to score twice (media)
IMC adopts fake news complaint: RTK obliged to give Nacionale room for rebuttal

Serbian Language Media:

COMKFOR discusses security with NATO, allied ambassadors (N1)
Vucic attends reception hosted by German chancellor, Namibian president (Tanjug)
One year after, Banjska still in shadow of armed conflict: Life between silence and bitter reality (Alternativna.com)
Stojanovic, Sheholli on Banjska (KiM radio)
A board with name of fallen police officer placed on street in Banjska (KiM radio)
What protects Radoicic? (RFE, Danas, N1)
Donald Trump Jr at business dinner in Belgrade (N1)

International:

A year after Banjska attack, Kosovo indictment chronicles Serb ‘land grab plot’ (BIRN)
A year after brazen attack in Kosovo, questions remain (RFE)
Kosovo’s leader defies western pressure to compromise with Serbia (FT)
Kosovo’s 90s turmoil: Elez Biberaj recounts key interviews in VOA (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kosovo leaders remember police sergeant killed during Banjska attack (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani remembered today Kosovo Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku who was killed one year ago during the attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo. “One year ago today, Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku made the ultimate sacrifice — a Hero who reminded us of something we’ve known for generations: this land, our land, is our eternal home. Freedom isn’t something we take for granted; it’s something we defend, no matter the cost. Kosovo is, and always will be, indivisible. Our freedom and our borders remain untouchable. Today, and for all time,” Osmani wrote in a post on X.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has commemorated the sergeant of the Kosovo Police, Afrim Bunjaku, on the first anniversary of the murder. He wrote on Facebook that the hero's sacrifice will never be forgotten. Kurti also announced the naming of the R-217 Regional road in the Ballaban-Banjské segment, after Afrim Bunjaku. “At the 221st meeting of the Government, among our main decisions was the naming of the Regional Road R-217 segment: Ballaban - Banjske, after the Hero of the Republic of Kosovo ‘Afrim Bunjaku’. On the 1st anniversary of the terrorist and paramilitary attack against our country in Banjska of Zvecan, we honor and never forget the sacrifice of the hero, Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who lost his life defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo,” Kurti said.

After paying homage at Bunjaku’s grave, Kurti told reporters that “Serbia is responsible [for the Banjska attack] and therefore Serbia must be held accountable, and in this regard we ask for the support and aid of the international factor”.

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, in his commemoration of Bunjaku said that Serbia is directly responsible for the attack in Banjska and that “justice is inevitable and Serbia must hand over the terrorists as soon as possible”.

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said in a Facebook post that Bunjaku gave his life “for the state of Kosovo” and that his death was a hard blow. “This is why the sentencing of terrorists and holding Serbia accountable as the organizer of the aggression are our duties as a state and society,” he argued.

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said that the message of Bunjaku’s heroic death was that “Kosovo has people that defend it, that defend all the territory of Kosovo, law and order, the constitutional rights, and the state of law”.

Stano: EU reiterates call for swift prosecution of those responsible (media)

Lead spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, Peter Stano, said today that one year after the Banjska attack, “the EU reiterates the call for swift prosecution of those responsible and reaffirms its commitment to justice and accountability. It’s a reminder of the need for continued efforts to maintain security and advance with normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia”.

Hovenier: Perpetrators and all those involved in horrific crime must be held fully accountable (media)

The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo, in a Facebook post today, quotes Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier as saying “today I joined with Government of Kosovo and diplomatic colleagues to honor the memory of Kosovo Police Officer Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed in the line of duty during the Banjska attack, one year ago today. The United States reiterates its call, and it is our expectation, that the perpetrators and all those who were involved in that horrific crime are held fully accountable”.

EU Ambassador Orav pays his respects to Afrim Bunjaku (media)

The European Union Office in Kosovo said in a Facebook post today that a year after the attack in Banjska/Banjskë, the EU Ambassador in Kosovo paid his respects to Afrim Bunjaku, who was tragically killed in the line of duty. “My thoughts are with his family, colleagues, and the people of #Kosovo, who seek justice," wrote Ambassador Orav on X. The EU calls for the swift prosecution of those responsible and reaffirms its commitment to justice and accountability. It is a reminder of the need for continued efforts to maintain security and advance with normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

German Embassy: Radoicic free in Serbia, although he is behind the crime (RTK)

The German Embassy in Kosovo has emphasized that the sacrifice of Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku will not be forgotten, adding that the author of the attack, Milan Radoicic, has accepted responsibility but is still at large in Serbia.

“One year ago, during the heinous attack in Banjska, Kosovo police officer Afrim Bunjaku lost his life. His sacrifice will not be forgotten, but the fact remains: Milan Radoicic, the alleged perpetrator behind this crime, despite admitting responsibility, is still free in Serbia.

The failure to hold those responsible accountable, despite clear admissions of guilt, undermines peace in the region and sends a dangerous message. Justice must be done. No more delays or excuses,” reads the post of the German Embassy in social media Facebook.

Elshani: Situation in north compared to last year is like night and day (media)

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, said in an interview with RTV21 today that the security situation in the north of Kosovo is much different now than it was a year ago. “The security situation in the north of Kosovo is much different now, in the positive sense. In 2022, and in 2023 until September 2023 it was a period with many unknowns. After the Banjska case the situation has become clearer. The Kosovo Police are in every part of the country, our reactions are immediate, and we react to every information we have,” he said.

Elshani also said that compared to last year, “the situation [in the north] is like night and day, because now we know the terrain, we know the roads, the area, we have information, we communicate with people. The situation is completely different. We need time to get to the phase we are in now,” he said.

Weapons and confiscations; a history of police actions in north of Kosovo (RFE)

The news website reports that in less than three years after the end of the war in Kosovo, NATO soldiers and members of United Nations Police confiscated many weapons in the mainly Serb inhabited north. One hundred rifles, 15 guns, 40 grenades, and a large amount of explosives and ammunition. Similar lists of weapons, as the one confiscated in February 2002, were published several times through the years, after different operations in that part of Kosovo. KFOR, the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) and the Kosovo Police informed about such actions. The Kosovo Police even exhibited the confiscated weapons. The operations have become more frequent after September 24 last year, when a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police in Banjska of Zvecan. During the attack, police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed, and three Serb attackers were killed during the fighting. After the attack, the Kosovo Police confiscated a large amount of weapons.

A question to authorities in Kosovo, after the attack, remained without a concrete answer: how are these weapons entering the territory of Kosovo? The Kosovo Customs said that they are entering through “mountain routes” without disclosing any further details. Meanwhile, the director of Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, said it is impossible to control the borderline with Serbia “every minute and every second”.

21 February 2023 – 6,300 ammunitions confiscated in the north

The Rapid Intervention Unit [of Kosovo Police] at Joshanica, in the north of Kosovo, checked a vehicle with Serbian license plates of a Serbian national and finds ammunition. Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said that during the action, 6,300 ammunitions smuggled from Serbia were confiscated.

23 June 2023 – Weapons in Zvecan

Inside a vehicle with Belgrade license plates, around 100 meters from the municipal building in Zvecan, Kosovo Police find a large amount of weapons, including explosive devices, ammunitions, RPGs, automatic rifles and shock bombs. Minister Svecla said that in the previous weeks, vehicles with military weapons entered from Serbia into Kosovo. Kosovo Police director Gazmend Hoxha said that the majority of weapons were manufactured in Serbia. 15 out of 21 grenades that were confiscated were manufactured in 2021.

14 August 2023 – 1,200 bullets confiscated in Rudine of Zvecan

The Kosovo Police Rapid Intervention Unit confiscate 1,200 bullets during a police operation in the village of Rudine of Zvecan.

5 September 2023 – Svecla: The north is heading toward normality step by step

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said that raids were carried out in Zvecan, resulting in the seizure of large amounts of ammunition, including automatic rifles, bullets, hand grenades and explosives. He said in a Facebook post that “the north is heading toward normality step by step” after a joint operation by Kosovo Police and the NATO-led mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

24 September 2023 – Attack in Banjska

Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku gets killed during an attack against the Kosovo Police by an armed group of Serbs in Banjska of Zvecan. An indictment filed on September 11 [this year] notes that the leader of the group was Milan Radoicic, former deputy leader of the Serbian List, who also claimed responsibility for the attack.

25 September 2023 – Police confiscate heavy armament

After the attack in Banjska, the Kosovo Police started operations in the surrounding area. As a result, a large amount of armament was confiscated. They found high caliber weapons, automatic rifles, snipers, RPGs, long rifles, hand grenades, etc.

14 October 2023 – Raids in seven locations

RPGs, explosives, anti-infantry mines, remote-controlled mines, detonators – Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said Kosovo Police raided seven locations in the mainly Serb inhabited north. According to him, the armament found in the locations was from the same manufacturer as the weapons confiscated in Banjska.

25 December 2023 – Ammunitions confiscated in the north

Kosovo Police said it confiscated a number of “dangerous equipment” in a multiethnic neighborhood in Mitrovica North, for which it said could have been potentially used in attacks against police officers. In addition to barbwires and smoke bombs, armament was also confiscated during the operation.

14 May 2024 – More armament confiscated in Zvecan

Kosovo Police said it confiscated a considerable amount of armament: 1,500 ammunitions, ten long rifles, 62 shock bombs, explosive and uniforms of the Serbian army. The weapons were found near a former police officer in the north, who was later arrested. Minister Svecla said it was the fifth weapons warehouse found in one year in the north of Kosovo. According to him, the weapons are “remnants of terrorist groups led by Milan Radoicic, financed, orchestrated and supported by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic”.

27 May 2024 – RFE identifies the found weapons

The Digital Forensics Unit of Radio Free Europe managed to identify the kinds and manufacturing of several weapons and ammunitions found, based on details from published photos.

14 June 2024 – Four locations in the north raided and armament confiscated

Four locations, hundreds of weapons and ammunitions. In another police operation in the north of Kosovo were confiscated long rifles, bullets, bulletproof vests and many other equipment. Authorities said the armament was hidden by former members of the Civil Protection – a group which Kosovo declared a terrorist organization – and by members of the armed group that was responsible for the attack in Banjska.

Kosovo PM Kurti’s interview with the Financial Times (media)

Several news websites cover an interview that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave to the Financial Times. Some of them highlight Kurti’s following remarks that he wants “no one to be privileged and therefore no one to be discriminated [against]. There can be no super-minority as Belgrade wants”; and Kurti saying that he “would work with whoever took the White House, noting that Pristina had common ground with a potential Trump administration, including calls for increased European defence spending”; on the eventual reopening of the main bridge in Mitrovica, Kurti said “Europe brought down walls. It’s not OK to insist on a closed bridge”.

Full article available upon request at: https://shorturl.at/CjGV7

Shahini: Kosovo will lift ban on Serbian goods, but trying to score twice (media)

Leader of the Business Alliance of Kosovo, Agim Shahini, in an interview with Periskopi, said that according to his information the Kurti-led government will lift the import ban on Serbian goods but that it is trying to gain representation in CEFTA without the footnote and visa-free travel between Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “According to our information, this is what Kosovo will ask from the Berlin Process. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory too and it is obliged not to unilaterally block the free travel of people. Whether it will be a condition or a challenge for all, we will see. The recommendations will then be for the government to lift the import ban on products and to continue with the Berlin Process as Kosovo’s only future toward Europe,” Shahini was quoted as saying.

IMC adopts fake news complaint: RTK obliged to give Nacionale room for rebuttal

Nacionale news website reports today that the Independent Media Commission (IMC) has addressed the report by Slobodna Bosna news website, containing serious accusations against Nacionale, and the publication of the article by the Radio Television of Kosovo. The IMC decision notes that the complaint by Nacionale was accepted unanimously with no vote against, and that the RTK is obliged to give Nacionale room for a rebuttal.

In addition to the complaint filed with the IMC, Nacionale has also taken all necessary legal actions.

Serbian Language Media

COMKFOR discusses security with NATO, allied ambassadors (N1)

KFOR Commander Turkish Major General Özkan Ulutaş discussed security in Kosovo with the ambassadors of the 28 countries with troops in the NATO-led force, a press release said. It said that they also discussed KFOR’s current activities, and cooperation with the broader International Community, reported N1.

“This meeting is another tangible demonstration of our collective and unwavering commitment towards lasting security for all communities living in Kosovo and regional stability,” the KFOR commander is quoted as saying at the meeting.

Vucic attends reception hosted by German chancellor, Namibian president (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended a reception hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba in New York on Monday evening.

"I attended a reception hosted on occasion of the Summit of the Future by the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz and the President of the Republic of Namibia Nangolo Mbumba, and I was also glad to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of FR Germany, Annalena Baerbock”, Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

Vucic will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday evening and meet with more than 40 world leaders until the end of his visit to New York on September 27.

One year after, Banjska still in shadow of armed conflict: Life between silence and bitter reality (Alternativna.com)

"Extraordinary. The village is fantastic. There is no one. Maybe two or three of us, we go down and have coffee. I can't even see any dogs, there aren't many of them, very few. Banjska used to be full of dogs, but now there aren't even any of them. Furthermore, they closed everything to us. I have to go to Raska for my medications, I have to go to Raska for my pension, I can't complete anything at (Kosovo) post office, they closed our (Serbian) post office here, opened theirs over there. I asked the one working there what can be done there, in that post office. He says - nothing, only a traffic violation if you have committed it, you can pay the fine there, otherwise nothing else”, Banjska resident Rade Nedeljkovic told Alternativna.com portal.

The portal added this was a brief take on how life looks like in Banjska today - one year after the armed conflict between a group of Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo police.

"Well, life is like that, the people are gone, there are not many of us left... there are maybe a dozen of us, there are no more. Well, you entered Banjska, you saw it here, and there is no one there", Nedeljkovic said.

Torn Serbian flags are flying on the streets of Banjska, and apart from the silence and the locals themselves, there is nothing to testify that the armed conflict took four lives, but that they - the residents of this small town of Zvecan also - bear the consequences, Alternativna.com further writes. Yellow tape is placed on the building of the Serbian post office. The new Kosovo post office was opened within the seized Rajska Banja spa complex, but is not useful to local residents, because Serbian and Kosovo post offices do not work with each other.

Life in a gap, waiting, uncertainty, abandonment, with declarative, but not essential care - of both Belgrade and Pristina - the people of Banjska live like that, just like the majority in the north of Kosovo.

Nedeljkovic recalled the beginning of the armed conflict in Banjska, as he worked the night shift at Rajska Banja spa complex as a receptionist saying his main aim was to make sure none of the 20 guests staying at the spa complex that evening did not get hurt. The guests were later allowed by Kosovo police to leave the village.

He also feels embittered that Rajska Banja spa complex is not working, adding their lives are complicated by Kosovo Government decisions, but he is also critical towards Belgrade. Asked what he objects to Belgrade, he responded – everything, accusing Belgrade of doing everything for this to happen and for handing over the north just like that to Pristina, in cooperation with, as he said, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Stojanovic, Sheholli on Banjska (KiM radio)

One of the leaders of the Serbian National Movement, Branimir Stojanovic, believes that the Serbs suffered the most consequences after the conflict in Banjska, and that they will continue to suffer the consequences of that event in the future. Fatmir Sheholli says that Banjska happened because “Serbia wanted it that way”, reported KiM radio.

"It is a complete breakdown of Serbian politics in this area. The Serbian List in particular has shown itself to be someone who has completely lost credibility and the right to speak on behalf of Serbs," Stojanovic said. When asked what he expects after the indictment is filed, he replied that "no one can estimate."

"It is certain that this matter will be discussed at the highest political level and that politics will decide the fate of the case. What worries me much more are the indictments that are brought against our people every day. Indictments that do not make any sense, indictments for war crimes that have become an instrument of pressure on ordinary people. Instilling fear into the bones of those who stayed here or those who did not completely give up their possessions. The Banjska case will be resolved on a political level, which is clear. There will be the least justice, and the most politics," said Stojanovic.

Kurti helped with unilateral moves

An analyst from Pristina, Fatmir Sheholli, said that "a terrorist act undoubtedly took place" in Banjska. He added that "the state of Serbia is involved in everything". However, he does not exempt Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, from responsibility.

"This is not a statement, but this is absolutely a terrorist act in which Serbia is involved. If we look at why this happened, then we will come back to Kurti again. With his moves without coordination with the USA and the EU, he took some of his moves without the consent of the local Serbs and that led to this (Banjska). Banjska happened because Serbia wanted it. They found those people, as well as the vice-president of the Serbian List, Radoicic, who were ready for such a terrorist action. Here, one year after that, we have the indictment and that is excellent, as well as the fact that the Kosovo Prosecutor's Office revealed everything in detail. There, Serbia cannot run away from responsibility. Radoicic could not have done all that by himself; without the knowledge of the top of the Serbian state," Sheholli said.

He believes that it would be best if Radoicic surrendered voluntarily.

"If he didn't ask anyone, not even Vucic, and if he came to answer for what he did here. I don't believe that will ever happen. Vucic is the person who formed Radoicic. Radoicic has grown so much that Vucic must no longer play with him like that and hand him over here. But, in principle, the fate of such people, we know from history, is very bad. I mean, bad for them. We'll see how it all ends. In many ways, Kurti's actions helped such a terrorist act to happen. If Kurti continues with these moves, it doesn't mean that we won't have another Banjska and other problems," he said.

Sheholli stated that Kurti does not coordinate his moves with the international community, primarily with the USA. According to his opinion, this could be reflected in the result of the next parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2025 in Kosovo, reported KiM radio.

A board with name of fallen police officer placed on street in Banjska (KiM radio)

In Banjska, a sign was placed with the name of Afrim Bunjaku, after whom the street in Banjska will be named. According to a KiM radio reporter from the scene, the flowers under the marker at the place of his death were laid by Zvecan mayor, Ilir Peci.

KiM radio reports that in Banjska itself is peaceful. At the moment, there are many news crews in it, and the police are present at all intersections. The placement of the board followed yesterday's decision of the Kosovo Government to name a part of the regional road R-217 from Balaban to Banjska after police officer Afrim Bunjaku.

KiM radio recalls that police officer Bunjaku was killed on this day last year during a conflict in Banjska with a group led by Milan Radoicic. Three armed Serbs were also killed in this armed incident.

What protects Radoicic? (RFE, Danas, N1)

Passport confiscated, forbidden to leave Serbia, obliged to report to the Belgrade police twice a month. For a year now, these have been the only measures taken by Serbian state authorities against Milan Radoicic, the former vice-president of the Serbian List, who publicly claimed responsibility for the armed attack on the Kosovo police in Banjska, wrote Radio Free Europe in Serbian, adding that the authorities in Serbia refuse to extradite Radoicic to Kosovo and say that he will be tried by Serbian courts, while Kosovo officials accuse them of providing him protection.

'Radoicic regularly reports to the police'

The High Court in Belgrade, which imposed the measures on Radoicic, told RFE that he respects them and reports regularly to the competent police station. The measures, they say in court, are extended every three months. The last time they were extended against Radoicic was at the beginning of July. However, it is not known where Radoicic currently resides in Serbia. According to RFE, until the publication of the text, the police did not answer the questions, and Radoicic's lawyer Goran Petronijevic, did not answer the phone calls.

'Government's favorite'

Predrag Petrovic from the non-governmental Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCBP) describes Radoicic as a "favorite of the government of Aleksandar Vucic''.

"On the basis of the fact that we still do not have a serious court case against Radoicic in Serbia, everything indicates that he is under the protection of the state," he added for RFE.

By the decision of the court in Belgrade, Radoicic was also forbidden to return to Kosovo, where on September 24, 2023, according to his own words, he organized an attack in which one Kosovo policeman was killed and three were injured. Then, in the exchange of fire, three attackers of Serbian nationality were killed, RFE said.

In Kosovo, he would be arrested according to the indictment brought against him and 44 other people.

He is charged with “terrorism and serious crimes against the constitutional order of Kosovo'' - that is, that he is the "head of a terrorist group" that tried “to annex the north of Kosovo”, inhabited by a Serbian majority, to Serbia by force and under heavy weapons. The first hearing was announced for September 25. Official Belgrade ignores this process in Kosovo. And in Serbia, the indictment against Banjska has not yet been filed, even though the investigation was started almost a year ago. Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo or its institutions, also qualifies criminal acts differently than official Pristina.

'Investigation ongoing'

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office (VJT) in Belgrade told RFE that the investigation is still ongoing. As they say, in cooperation with other state bodies, all the facts and circumstances "in connection with the critical event in Banjska" are being established. "After the end of the investigation, the public will be informed about the decision of the prosecutor", they add in the answer. Radoicic, as they told RFE, has the status of a suspect. He is charged with three criminal offenses - among them the illegal production, possession, carrying and trafficking of firearms and explosive substances and serious offenses against general safety. The other suspects are NN persons. In his testimony before the Prosecutor's Office on October 3 last year, Radoicic denied guilt.

However, previously in a public letter read by his lawyer Goran Petronijevic, he admitted responsibility for the attack in Banjska - that he personally organized it and participated in it, denying the involvement of the Serbian state in it. In that letter, recalls RFE, Radoicic stated that he came to Banjska to "provide resistance" to the Kosovo authorities and "protect" the Serbian people.

Is Serbia cooperating with Kosovo in the case of Banjska?

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade also states that through the Ministry of Justice of Serbia, it turned to EULEX. They asked to be provided with complete documentation related to the Banjska case.

"In order to provide legal assistance, it was requested to submit the minutes of the investigation, photo documentation, autopsy reports of all deceased persons, medical reports of all injured persons," the Prosecutor's Office's response states. They added that they also requested the records of the examination of weapons and ammunition and explosive devices, as well as the records of the interrogation of the defendants and the examination of witnesses. "The documentation has not been delivered to the prosecutor's office to date, nor has there been any response from EULEX," concludes VJT in their response to RFE. The Kosovo Justice Ministry previously stated that this request of Serbia is in contradiction with the laws of Kosovo. They also pointed out that ''Kosovo has never received an answer from Serbia, for handing over the criminals so that they can be brought to justice".

The official Belgrade decided also earlier not to act on the Interpol warrant against Radoicic, which, at the request of Pristina, was issued in December 2023. The Serbian leaders said that his extradition is "impossible", and that all court processes will be conducted "before domestic courts". Asked about the Kosovo indictment for Banjska, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during a public address on September 13 that the Serbian authorities are conducting their own investigation. He also stressed that for Serbia, the Banjska case "is not terrorism at all".

And the US State Department is also asking Serbia to hold accountable all the participants in the attack. In an earlier response to RFE, the State Department stated that regarding the Kosovo indictment, the US encourages respect for the judicial process and the rule of law, as well as patience, while this complex case is resolved in the courts. "The US continues to strongly support the rule of law, equal justice and good governance in Kosovo," they concluded in their response.

Is Radoicic protected by BIA?

Kosovo officials, led by PM Albin Kurti, have stated in the past year that Milan Radoicic allegedly is holding meetings with members of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) in Serbia. The BIA did not respond to RFE's request to comment on Pristina's allegations. Whether Serbia is "protecting" Radoicic - the Government of Serbia and the Cabinet of President Aleksandar Vucic do not answer either. Petrovic believes that, given the scale of the operation, the number of people, the amount and type of weapons used in Banjska, "it would be very difficult to conclude or believe" that the Serbian security services had no information about that operation. "Especially because such an action, as it is, would have great security and political significance and consequences for Serbia and the government of Aleksandar Vucic," he adds. He also believes that "if there was a democratic system", the prosecution and judicial authorities of Serbia would investigate Banjska in detail. According to him, the investigation should be conducted and by the parliament - in the committees for control of the security services and internal affairs. Asked why Radoicic has not been prosecuted so far, Petrovic replies that "the government, led by the Serbian Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vucic, obviously owes him a lot of different services." "It is an open secret that he was the main person for disciplining the Serbs in the north of Kosovo and for some kind of non-institutional management of that territory on behalf of the government of Aleksandar Vucic," concludes Petrovic.

A businessman without a company

While he was previously presented to the public as a businessman, Milan Radoicic, according to the official data of the commercial register, currently does not have a single company in his name in Serbia, reports RFE. He left the ownership of the company "Inkop" and its daughter companies in October 2023, after publicly admitting that he was the organizer of the armed attack in Banjska. He gave his share in "Inkop" and related companies to his business partners, brothers Zvonko and Zarko Veselinovic. They, like Radoicic, are under the USA sanctions, which suspects them of ties to international organized crime. Serbia, however, does not pay attention to the sanctions against the three, as well as against the companies associated with them, RFE further reported. Just as the indictment against Radoicic in Kosovo is ignored, it added.

According to RFE's research, in recent years, these companies have received “lucrative construction jobs that were paid for from the state budget, such as the construction of sections of highways”. Radar weekly editor Milan Culibrk, who also investigated the affairs of Radoicic and the Veselinovic brothers, believes that the company's ownership structure has changed "only formally". "But I am absolutely sure that nothing else has changed, that the distribution of the profit that is realized, which is measured in tens of millions of euros, has not changed either. And that this was done only so that in APR, as one of the co-owners of the roof company, Radoicic would not officially appear," he emphasizes for RFE. "That political and para-security function, along with business cooperation, indicates that his ties with people close to the government are strong, and that they could be very compromising for the top of the government and Aleksandar Vucic," he adds.

Radoicic resigned from the position of vice-president of the Serbian List - the leading party of Serbs in Kosovo, which enjoys the support of official Belgrade, on the day he admitted responsibility for Banjska. Kosovo officials previously linked him to the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, a politician from the north of Kosovo. However, the government in Serbia denied Radoicic's involvement. ''Radoicic is not a daisy... but he did not participate in the liquidation of Oliver Ivanovic in any way," said the former president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, wrote RFE in Serbian language today among other things.

Donald Trump Jr at business dinner in Belgrade (N1)

N1 has learned Donald Trump Jr paid an unannounced visit to Belgrade which included a dinner for a group of business people in central Belgrade. The US Embassy in Belgrade refused to comment on the visit and the event.

An N1 crew reported that several owners of construction companies, banks and others were present at the dinner in one of central Belgrade’s hotels. According to N1 sources, no one from the Serbian government attended the dinner. Trump left Belgrade this morning for Bucharest where a similar event will be organized as announced by Romanian media.

The son of former US President Donald Trump who is running for re-election in November is executive vice-president of the Trump Organization and manages that company with his younger brother Eric. N1 recalls that Donald Jr is not the first member of the Trump family to show interest in doing business in Serbia. The former US President’s son in law Jared Kushner signed a deal with the Serbian authorities to redevelop what was the Yugoslav General Staff building in central Belgrade which was bombed by NATO in 1999.

International

A year after Banjska attack, Kosovo indictment chronicles Serb ‘land grab plot’ (BIRN)

Kosovo prosecutors claim Serb businessman Milan Radoicic grew rich from crime and political connections. Then, their indictment alleges, he plotted with the Serbian state to seize part of northern Kosovo, starting with a deadly attack in the village of Banjska a year ago.

In 2017, a woman called Ema Redzepagic bought two apartments and 120 square meters of retail space in a building on the northern, predominantly Serb side of the ethnically-divided Kosovo town of Mitrovica.

Redzepagic paid 50,000 euros by bank transfer and another 100,000 euros in cash. The cash, prosecutors in Kosovo say, came from her then husband Milan Radoicic. The retail space became a restaurant called ‘Grey,’ where Radoicic often hung out with friends and associates.

Just a few years later, he had somewhere else to spend his time – a sprawling, luxurious villa on the shores of nearby Lake Ujman/Gazivode, its perimeter patrolled by security guards.

Radoicic was obviously ‘in the money’, yet, according to an indictment against him, he had “no legal income, either through payroll or any business in Kosovo as an employee”.

What Radoicic did have, however, was power – power over what went on in North Mitrovica and three other Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo.

Kosovo’s authorities say that power came from organized crime and high-level political connections in Belgrade, connections they say put Radoicic in a position to launch an audacious armed assault on Kosovo police in the north in September 2023 in which one officer was killed.