UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 5, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani in Granada: I’ll discuss with fellow leaders security challenges (media)

Scholz: We are committed to a peaceful solution (Gazeta Express)

Kurti’s chief of staff reacts to Radoicic’s release (media)

Gervalla: Radoicic must be handed over to Kosovo now (media)

Kearns: Radoicic remains free in Serbia; Kosovo remains under sanctions (media)

Hoxha: With Banjska attack, Serbia tried to create new reality in Kosovo (RFE)

Abbott: UK continues to make strong contribution to KFOR’s mandate (media)

German Foreign Minister visits Balkans amid Kosovo-Serbia tensions (RFE)

German Minister: Kosovo acted reasonably after terrorist attack in the north (KSP)

Dunai clarifies Rama statement: Was discussing troubles in north of Kosovo (AP)

Lajcak: Important to work together to make EU integration of region reality (media)

U.S. Senator: O’Brien prepared in case conflict breaks out in Kosovo (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

- Brnabic: “Kurti wants ethnic cleansing in Kosovo” (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Reduced supplies of medicines in northern Kosovo - Elek: We are facing a humanitarian disaster (RTS)

Serbian Trade Minister: Humanitarian crisis zone in northern Kosovo, flow of goods and people blocked (Tanjug, media)

Dacic meets with Ziadeh (Tanjug)

Two persons suspected of alleged war crimes in Kosovo arrested in Montenegro (KoSSev)

Vucic to attend EPC summit in Granada on Thursday (Tanjug, media)

US Ambassador: Kosovo has to form CSM (N1, KoSSev)

Searches carried out in Rudare and Zvecan over Banjska incident, nothing found, no arrests (KoSSev)

Kolasin Prevoz and Joe Travel reinstate bus lines on Mitrovica-Belgrade route (KoSSev)

IMC bans Arena Sport from broadcasting in Kosovo (BETA, N1)

International Media:

Nato needs to re-establish control of northern Kosovo, says Albanian PM (FT)

EU appetite growing for sanctions on Serbia (EUObserver)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani in Granada: I’ll discuss with fellow leaders security challenges (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said upon arriving in Granada on Wednesday where she will take part in the European Political Community summit, that in meetings with fellow leaders she will “discuss security challenges in Kosovo after Serbia’s act of aggression & reiterate our commitment to deepening cooperation w/ allies for long-term peace, stability & security.”

Scholz: We are committed to a peaceful solution (Gazeta Express)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented on the situation in the north of Kosovo on Wednesday saying that for Germany it is very important for the current tensions not to escalate further. He said Germany, France, and Italy, are committed to finding a solution in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “For me it is very important for the situation not to escalate further when it comes to Serbia and Kosovo. A peaceful solution is needed, and this is what we are very committed to. Germany, France, and Italy are especially active in this regard,” he said.

Scholz said that the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia will be discussed on Thursday and Friday during meetings of 50 European leaders in Granada, Spain.

Kurti’s chief of staff reacts to Radoicic’s release (media)

Chief of Staff to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Luan Dalipi, argued in a post on X on Wednesday that “Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian government supported terrorism in the neighboring Kosova”. “Arresting & releasing a front-lead-terrorist is a MEDIA STUNT. His Milosevician/Putin-style manipulation won't fool anyone sane. Accountability is essential for this serious breach of international law,” Dalipi argued.

Gervalla: Radoicic must be handed over to Kosovo now (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said on Wednesday that Milan Radoicic, who claimed responsibility for the attack on Kosovo Police in Banjska near Zvecan, on September 24, must be handed over to Kosovo authorities. “The swift release of terrorist Radoicic the day after his arrest in Serbia proves that this entire process is a charade. The Serbian state ordered the attack on the Kosova Police, and cannot be expected to deliver justice. Radoicic must be handed over to Kosova now,” Gervalla wrote in a post on X.

Kearns: Radoicic remains free in Serbia; Kosovo remains EU sanctions (media)

UK MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, wrote in a post on Wednesday that Milan “Radoicic remains free in Serbia. Still no repercussions for Belgrade from UK, US, EU despite murder of police officer, arming of paramilitaries, kidnap of police officers, nor role in seriously injury of NATO troops. Yet Kosovo remains under EU sanctions. Deterrence diplomacy?”

Hoxha: With Banjska attack, Serbia tried to create new reality in Kosovo (RFE)

Kosovo Police General Director Gazmend Hoxha said in an interview with the news website on Wednesday that Kosovo has facts which prove that Serbia and its army gave full support to former deputy leader of the Serbian List, Milan Radoicic, who organized and took part in the attack against Kosovo Police in Banjska near Zvecan on September 24. The attack resulted in the killing of a police officer, Afrim Bunjaku. Hoxha said that with the attack in Banjska “Radoicic and the Republic of Serbia” aimed to create a new reality in Kosovo. He said that there are ongoing investigations into the possible involvement of several persons that could be from Russia.

Hoxha said that the weapons used by the armed group in Banjska were brought inside Kosovo through illegal roads. “According to an agreement with KFOR, Kosovo Police is not allowed to approach the border [with Serbia] closer than 1,000 meters. Once you get within the 1,000 meters there are many illegal roads which the Kosovo Police cannot monitor. The weapons were brought in through illegal roads. Separate groups also came through illegal roads, and they got close to the village of Banjska,” he said.

Asked if there was an agreement for the armed group to leave the Banjska monastery, Hoxha said there was no agreement or communication for creating a corridor through which the armed group could flee the village. “We have told them several times to surrender to Kosovo authorities. They refused, and they kept shooting at police officers … We also communicated with Father Danilo and asked him to communicate with them and ask them to surrender, but this communication did not function. But there was no communication to create a corridor to someone that killed one of our colleagues. We have principles based on which we function, and we have grown as a police force and we don’t allow someone that kills a Kosovo police officer or a citizen to be able to leave the territory of Kosovo without answering for their act,” Hoxha said.

Abbott: UK continues to make strong contribution to KFOR’s mandate (media)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Nicholas Abbott, visited Camp Bondsteel on Wednesday. “I visited Camp Bondsteel to meet British Soldiers from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment who have been in Kosovo as part of an annual exercise. They are now under NATO Command and will be joined by a further 200 soldiers from the UK’s Strategic Reserve Force commitment in the coming days. At a difficult and worrying time for many people in Kosovo, I am pleased that the UK continues to make a strong contribution to KFOR’s mandate to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people of Kosovo,” Abbott wrote in a post on X.

German Foreign Minister visits Balkans amid Kosovo-Serbia tensions (RFE)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will travel to the Balkans on October 5 amid increased tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. At the margins of the meeting of foreign ministers of the Western Balkans, Baerbock will talk with leaders from Serbia and Kosovo and will ask both parties to de-escalate the conflict, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said. He also said that the situation in the region is “undoubtedly concerning”.

German Minister: Kosovo acted reasonably after terrorist attack in the north (KSP)

German Minister for Food and Agriculture, Cem Ozdemir, said Kosovo’s institutions reacted in reasonable fashion after the unprovoked action against Kosovo Police in the north on September 24. He said that Kosovo’s independence needs to be respected and that the position of the Serb community should be discussed only within Kosovo’s borders. “Allow me to express my condolences for the loss of your police officer during the terrorist act by criminals that killed one of your police officers and wounded another. Allow me also to say that I have deep respect for the very reasonable reaction that your government and police showed to this act of provocation. I know this is not an easy situation, therefore my visit here is beyond our excellent bilateral cooperation, and also a gesture of solidarity,” Ozdemir said after meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Ozdemir also said that “it is in our hands to make sure that history is not repeated. Therefore, allow me to say that it is exceptionally important for the road forward to go toward peace, the road forward to be towards respecting borders, for Kosovo’s independence to be respected and if this is the basis then anything can be discussed. It is certainly important to talk about the position of the Serb minority in the north, but within Kosovo’s borders. This is very important and this is our position”.

Dunai clarifies Rama statement: Was discussing troubles in north of Kosovo (AP)

Financial Times correspondent for South-East Europe, Marton Dunai, said in a post on X on Wednesday that in an interview with FT, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was discussing troubles in northern Kosovo, not the entire Kosovo. “We have amended this article to clarify Albanian PM Edi Rama was discussing troubles in Northern Kosovo, not the entire country,” Dunai said.

Lajcak: Important to work together to make EU integration of region a reality (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said on Wednesday that he met with the Socialists and Democrats Group and the EPP in the European Parliament to brief them on the latest developments in the dialogue. “Grateful for the opportunity of an engaging discussion and the interest in our EU work in the Western Balkans. Important to work together to make EU integration of the region a reality,” Lajcak wrote in a post on X.

U.S. Senator: O’Brien prepared in case conflict breaks out in Kosovo (Koha)

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations, said one of the reasons why Jim O’Brien should serve as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, is a possible conflict that can break out in Kosovo. “After he served as Deputy Director for Policy Planning and Presidential Envoy for the Balkans, he will be ready if a conflict breaks out in Kosovo again. He won’t be afraid to call out the bad actors in Bosnia and work on protecting peace, transparency and prosperity,” he said.

Cardin said that O’Brien was part of an initiative to investigate and prosecute people responsible for war crimes and that he won numerous awards from the State Department. “He is a tested professional who is ready to take on this high-profile challenge. This sends a signal that the United States cares about what happens in Europe. And especially now we need to prove our determination,” he argued.

Serbian Language Media

Brnabic: “Kurti wants ethnic cleansing in Kosovo” (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said yesterday the only thing Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wants “was ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Metohija”.

“He does not want Serbs in Kosovo, he does not want others as well, he does not want Roma”, Brnabic told journalists while laying the foundation stone for a viewpoint facility at Kablar.

Commenting on the campaign, which she said, Pristina runs against Serbia and publishes videos about everything that took place in Banjska, Brnabic said that the public, however, had not seen the video how three Serbs were killed there.

“We only have not seen that video. Did they kill them from a distance or in a fight? Or they killed them like Bojan (Mijailovic), while he was lying wounded and surrendered already, so they carried out a classic execution. This video we have not seen. I am convinced this video exists, because obviously there are different videos that either they (Pristina) or foreigners were recording. But this video we have not seen. And they published some that never happened, and here I speak about Pasuljanske livade (Serbian Army training field)”, Brnabic said.

She also pointed out the number of letters sent by Romas living in Kosovo to the international community in which they say they feel as second class citizens, but that no one was reacting to it.

“Unfortunately no one is preventing it, unfortunately, we came to the situation that it is allowed to Kurti’s security forces to shoot at 11-year old child (Gotovusa Christmas Eve incident) and that no one is held responsible. Not that he (perpatrator) is not in prison, he is not even in detention (…)”, Brnabic said.

Reduced supplies of medicines in northern Kosovo - Elek: We are facing a humanitarian disaster (RTS)

Serbian public broadcaster RTS reported last night that the state of crisis in northern Kosovo also reflected in the decrease of drugs and other medications’ stock in Mitrovica North hospital. Clinical Hospital Center (CHC) Director Zlatan Elek warned if this situation continues, a humanitarian disaster is looming.

Administrative crossing point Brnjak in northern Kosovo opened for movement in both directions yesterday, while Jarinje still remains closed for the entry from central Serbia. Near the city, in Suvo Do village, Serbian Orthodox Church was broken into. And another indictment for alleged war crimes was filed in Pristina, RTS reports.

The Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North is running out of necessary medicines, warns the director Zlatan Elek. He recalled that since 2021, when the last public procurement was rejected, the center has not had a continuous supply of much-needed medicines.

Oxygen is running out and drug supplies for oncology patients, of which there are more and more, are running out. They lack the necessary therapies, which mean their lives, Elek stressed.

"We lack medications, that's right, we've been working on supplies for the last three years since Albin Kurti came to power. It's not allowed to bring any medicines to the CHC. I can now claim that the Clinical Hospital Center and the population here are facing a humanitarian disaster, if this situation continues", Elek said.

Serbian Trade Minister: Humanitarian crisis zone in northern Kosovo, flow of goods and people blocked (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic said today that the north of Kosovo has entered the humanitarian crisis zone, Tanjug news agency reports.

“Provisional institutions of the Pristina self-government have not completely blocked the flow of goods and people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. An expulsion of the population is being prepared (…)”, he said, adding that there is “a slow ethnic cleansing in the territory of four municipalities in northern Kosovo”.

He also said that in a forum held in Tirana last week he spoke about how violation of the basic human rights and political rights in Kosovo had their consequences, and that was, as he said, loss of human lives.

Dacic meets with Ziadeh (Tanjug)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK Caroline Ziadeh on Wednesday in Belgrade, Tanjug news agency reports.

The meeting was held in the context of the upcoming UN Security Council session on UNMIK, and they discussed the current situation in Kosovo and the atmosphere of heightened tensions, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Dacic voiced concerns over the recent tragic events and the highly sensitive security and political situation in Kosovo.

He reiterated that, as in the past, Serbia was advocating de-escalation, preservation of peace and respect of previous agreements.

He said there was still no progress in implementation of commitments undertaken by the other side and that that led to a rise of tensions on the ground.

He noted that the UNSC session was of great significance to Serbia in view of continued unilateral moves by Pristina resulting in growing instability in Kosovo and further threats to the fundamental human rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

Two persons suspected of alleged war crimes in Kosovo arrested in Montenegro (KoSSev)

At the beginning of this month, Montenegrin police arrested two persons that will be extradited to Pristina authorities, Kosovo police said in a statement. These two persons are accused of allegedly committing war crimes, but without further details provided, KoSSev portal reports.

On October 1, police in Montenegro arrested Z.V. (1961) from Kosovo based on an international arrest warrant. Three days later I.B. (1975) was arrested.

At the end of last month, also based on an international arrest warrant, the police in Montenegro arrested Serbian citizen M.V. (61) also under accusations of allegedly committing war crimes.

He was assigned a detention measure with extradition by the Higher Court judge in Belo Polje.

Vucic to attend EPC summit in Granada on Thursday (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will attend a European Political Community summit in Granada on Thursday, the presidential press office announced in a statement.

Forty-seven heads of state and government as well as the presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament have been invited to the event.

The leaders will discuss advancement of political dialogue and cooperation with a view to strengthening security and stability on the European continent, the statement said.

On the sidelines of the Granada summit, Vucic will have a series of bilateral meetings with European officials including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili, Icelandic PM Katrín Jakobsdottir and EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell.

Vucic will also attend a round table discussion on energy, environmental protection and the fight against climate change, the statement also said.

US Ambassador: Kosovo has to form CSM (N1, KoSSev)

The US Ambassador in Pristina told reporters on Wednesday that Kosovo has to meet its obligations under agreements including the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) which he said should not get executive powers, the KoSSev news portal reported.

According to Ambassador Jeff Hovenier, the CSM has to be formed in line with the Kosovo constitution and 2016 Constitutional Court ruling and must not have executive powers. He told a group of reporters that efforts are underway with the Kosovo government to come up with a credible vision.

The Ambassador recalled that the CSM is an obligation accepted by Pristina during the dialogue with Belgrade and has to be fulfilled. He said the obligation was accepted in 2013 and added that the newer Basic Agreement says that all previous obligations have to be met.

Hovenier said that the Serb community is a fundamental, essential and integral part of Kosovo with the Serbs in the north and other areas remaining a high priority for the United States. The Ambassador said that the US supports sovereignty of Kosovo but that the support is based on the understanding that Kosovo is democratic and multi-ethnic.

He said the concerns of the Serb community have to be addressed and called the Serbs to reconcile themselves to the fact that they live in Kosovo. He added that the US wants the Serbs to live in safety and dignity.

Searches carried out in Rudare and Zvecan over Banjska incident, nothing found, no arrests (KoSSev)

Kosovo police in the late afternoon yesterday carried out searches at two houses in Zvecan municipality, deputy commander for the North region Veton Elshani told KoSSev portal.

He said the searches were related to the Banjska incident and that police, as he said, had information related to those two houses, in which the searches were carried out.

One house is located near the cemetery in Rudare village, and the second house is located in the vicinity of Zvecan municipal building.

The police found nothing and nobody was arrested, KoSSev portal added, citing Elshani.

Kolasin Prevoz and Joe Travel reinstate bus lines on Mitrovica-Belgrade route (KoSSev)

Two transport companies in northern Kosovo, Kolasin Prevoz and Joe Travel reinstated bus lines on the Mitrovica-Belgrade route and vice versa, KoSSev portal reports.

Kolasin Prevoz announced on its Facebook page that the bus lines are active again, adding the timetable remains the same and that the first bus departed at 11.30 yesterday.

Joe Travel owner Goran Antic told KoSSev they also start working, and that buses will leave Kosovo through Jarinje crossing point, and return from central Serbia at Brnjak crossing point.

Two crossing points in northern Kosovo, Jarinje and Brnjak were closed to entry from central Serbia since September 24 and Banjska incidents. This significantly hampered the movement of people in northern Kosovo. Brnjak was opened to traffic from central Serbia yesterday, while Jarinje still remains closed.

IMC bans Arena Sport from broadcasting in Kosovo (BETA, N1)

Independent Media Commission (IMC) in Kosovo has decided to ban the broadcasting of the Arena Sport TV channels by distribution operators over, as it said, its glorification of the attacks in the north of Kosovo, BETA news agency reports.

IMC head Jeton Mehmeti said the decision was made after Arena Sport channels broadcast content in violation of Kosovo regulations.

Arena Sport is rebroadcast in Kosovo by cable operators Artmotion, IPKO, Kujtesa, Telkos and MTS.

International Media

Nato needs to re-establish control of northern Kosovo, says Albanian PM (FT)

Nato should reestablish control of northern Kosovo or face continuing violence between ethnic Serbs and Albanians in the region, according to the prime minister of Albania.

Edi Rama, whose country is a member of the military alliance, spoke to the Financial Times after Serb paramilitaries took hostage a monastery in northern Kosovo, claiming at least four lives including that of an ethnic Albanian police officer.

“Kosovo is a hotspot,” Rama said. “[Northern Kosovo] has become over the years a no-man’s-land where all kinds of crime combine with rising nationalism. The border between crime and politics has been blurred.”

Nato said it would deploy as many peacekeeping troops were needed to stabilise the situation, with Germany and the UK already pledging hundreds of soldiers on top of the existing 4,500-strong force to keep the region under control. Both Kosovo and Serbian leaders have also called on Nato to step up its presence and quell tensions.