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2022-12-27 20:04:05
◎The NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) expressed the hope that all parties can avoid rhetoric and actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, and refrain from provocative displays of force.
Every reporter Li Menglin Every editor Tan Yuhan
Serbian President Vucic.Image source: Xinhua News Agency
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have risen again in recent days. According to CCTV news reports, Serbian President Vucic ordered on the evening of December 26 local time,Serbia’s army and police enter the highest level of combat readiness. Vucic said that he will “use all means to defend our people and Serbia.”
On the same day, Serbian Defense Minister Vucevic arrived at the Kosovo border and praised the combat readiness of the Serbian army. Since the Serbian army has been on alert recently,it’s unclear what that peak readiness status actually means for ground forces。
According to BBC reports, Serbian media recently reported that the Kosovo authorities planned to launch an “attack” on Serb residents in northern Kosovo, but the Kosovo authorities did not respond to these reports.
The NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) expressed the hope that all parties would avoid rhetoric and actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, and refrain from provocative displays of force. The EU also called on both sides to exercise restraint and seek a political solution.
Conflict intensifies in northern Kosovo
According to CCTV news reports, on the evening of December 26 local time, Serbian President Vucic ordered the Serbian army and police to enter the highest level of combat readiness.
Serbian Defense Minister Vucevic stated that according to the order of President Vucic, all Serbian armed forces began to prepare for the use of force that night. Vucevic pointed out that the military’s entry into the highest level of combat readiness is to safeguard Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to protect Serbian citizens wherever they live from terrorist threats.
According to the Associated Press, on the same day, Vucevic and the chief of staff of the army arrived at the Kosovo border and praised the combat readiness of the local Serbian army.
Serbian Minister of the Interior Garcic also stated that night, according to the order of President Vucic, the Serbian police force has also entered the highest level of combat readiness, and will be commanded by the General Staff to enter designated locations to carry out combat tasks as needed.
It is unclear what this highest level of readiness actually means for Serbian military operations. The Serbian army has been put on high alert several times in recent years due to tensions with Kosovo. The most recent was in November, when the Serbian government said several drones entered Serbian airspace from Kosovo.
According to CCTV news reports, on December 10 local time, Serb residents in northern Kosovo set up roadblocks on the main roads in the area to protest the arrest of a former Kosovo Serb policeman, triggering an escalation of tension between Kosovo and Serbia.
On 26 December, the Kosovo authorities discussed the current situation with the commander of NATO’s Kosovo Peace Implementation Force (KFOR) and EU diplomats in Kosovo. Kosovo authorities said after the meeting that the meeting concluded that the roadblocks should be removed to restore freedom of travel.
On the same day, according to CCTV News citing Serbian media reports, the Kosovo authorities banned the Serbian Orthodox bishop from entering Kosovo and ordered to increase the state of combat readiness to prepare to enter the Serb-inhabited area in northern Kosovo.
Meanwhile KFOR is investigating an attack that took place on December 25. According to KFOR, the attack occurred near a patrol point of KFOR troops, but fortunately no one was injured. The attack took place in Zubin Potok in northern Kosovo, where the Serb population has been barricaded for the past two weeks and the situation is tense.
In response to the situation on the 26th, KFOR called on all relevant parties to avoid rhetoric and actions that would lead to an escalation of the situation in a statement, “We expect all parties to refrain from provocative displays of force and seek the best solution that can ensure the safety of all ethnic groups. “
The EU called for “maximum restraint and immediate action” and called on leaders on both sides to find a political solution.
Why the conflict again?
According to CCTV news, Kosovo is an autonomous province of the former Yugoslav Republic of Serbia. After the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, it was managed by the United Nations. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, and Serbia has always maintained its sovereignty over Kosovo.
According to the Guardian, Kosovo currently has a population of 1.8 million, with Albanians accounting for the vast majority, but there are still about 120,000 Serbs living in the country, mainly concentrated in northern Kosovo bordering Serbia.
Although the Kosovo War has ended 23 years ago, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia continue to escalate from time to time. This year’s conflict stemmed from the “small matter” of changing the license plate.
The Kosovo authorities require that starting from August 1 this year, vehicles with the former Yugoslavia car licenses need to be registered and replaced with licenses issued by the Kosovo authorities within two months. Violators will be fined 150 euros. The move sparked protests by Kosovo Serb residents, who blocked roads with heavy vehicles, and hundreds of Serbs working in Kosovo’s police and judiciary resigned collectively.
Subsequently, under the mediation of the European Union, Kosovo and Serbia reached a compromise on the license plate issue. However, on December 10, as the Kosovo authorities arrested a former Serb policeman suspected of attacking the Albanian police, Serb residents in northern Kosovo once again blocked the main traffic roads in protest. There were gunshots that night, and the situation suddenly became tense again. .
On December 10, Serbian President Vucic stated that he would ask NATO to allow him to deploy Serbian troops and police in Kosovo. This is the first time Serbia has requested the deployment of troops in Kosovo. According to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, if the commander of NATO forces in Kosovo approves, Serbia can deploy 1,000 military, police and customs personnel to Kosovo Orthodox religious sites, Serb-majority areas and border crossings to maintain order. So far, this request has not been approved.
On December 11, Kosovo’s “First Deputy Prime Minister” Besnik Bislimi told the media that Kosovo plans to formally submit an application to join the EU in the next few days, so as to show European governments that it is close to the EU. The attitude is serious. However, five EU member states – Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain – have not yet recognized Kosovo’s status.
According to the analysis of The Economist magazine, the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo faces many challenges, and it is difficult for the leaders of both sides to make concessions. For Serbia, this means treating Kosovo as a normal country, but it is impossible for Serbia to officially recognize Kosovo; while the Kosovo authorities need to agree to the autonomy of the Serb population in areas such as education and health care, but the current leadership opposes this policy. A diplomat said the leaders of the two sides were now so far apart that they were “living on two different planets”.
Cover image source: Xinhua News Agency