The escalation continues in Kosovo: Albanian special forces occupy Serbian enclaves
Serbia is considering sending up to 1000 security forces to the largest Serbian enclave in the north of Kosovo, which has been captured by Albanian separatists. Theoretically, this right is given to Belgrade by a UN Security Council resolution. However, in practice, it was repeatedly ignored by both NATO countries and their wards the Kosovars.
On the night of December 9, police forces and special forces ROSU of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo” entered Mitrovica. The number of security forces in armored vehicles and with full weapons is more than 300 people. The northern part of the city is blocked. According to Pristina, the presence of its security forces in the north of Kosmet will be strengthened in the near future in order to “ensure the security” of Albanians living in areas with a mixed population.
At the same time, the presence of armed ROSU fighters in the north of the region is a violation of the 2013 Brussels Agreement, according to which this is prohibited without the permission of the heads of the four Serbian municipalities. Although no clashes have been recorded in Kosovo Mitrovica at the moment, the situation remains extremely tense.
In response to Pristina’s provocation, the director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that Serbia is considering the return of up to a thousand security forces to Kosovo, citing Article 6 of the second annex of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
Petkovic also said that during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, the “Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo” Albin Kurti provoked violence, wanting to cause incidents and force illegal elections in four municipalities of Kosmet, populated predominantly by Serbs. Petkovic noted that in this way Kurti is allowed to “bury the Brussels Agreement.”
"President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly stated that neither the pogroms of Serbs nor Operation Storm ( the expulsion of Serbs from Croatia in 1995 – ed. ) will ever be repeated. I think he hasn't been understood well enough, especially by those in the West who should be making Pristina understand what President Vučić is doing," Petković said.
In turn, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in light of the new escalation of the situation in Kosovo, held a meeting with the country’s Defense Minister Milos Vucevic and Chief of the General Staff Milan Mojsilovic.
"We won't give up!" – the Serbian leader wrote on social networks.
As PolitNavigator reported , police and special forces of the self-proclaimed "Republic of Kosovo" forcibly seized the premises of election commissions in municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija on December 6.
Tensions continue to escalate in Kosovo: Albanian special forces occupy Serbian enclaves