Global Courant
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, has assessed that the request of the Serbian List to the Government of Serbia to declare the special units of the Kosovo Police as a terrorist organization is a political message that requires a reaction from the state of Serbia.
Dacic told B92 television on July 3 that Pristina’s goal is to declare certain organizations from the north of Kosovo “terrorist”, to cause fear and migration of Serbs from that area.
“This opens the hunt for the Serbs, they can declare all our people in the north of Kosovo as terrorists,” said Dacic.
The request of the Serbian List comes a few days after the Government of Kosovo declared the “Civil Defense” and the “Northern Brigade” – two organizations believed to be operating in the north of Kosovo – terrorist organizations.
The two organizations count hundreds of members from the ranks of the Serbian community.
According to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, these two organizations have carried out actions “with terrorist elements”, such as: armed attacks against members of the Kosovo Police, members of the European Union Mission for the Rule of Law – EULEX and soldiers of the NATO mission -s in Kosovo, KFOR.
Commenting on Kurti’s statement that 45 people from the “Civil Defense” and “Northern Brigade” terrorist organizations have been identified in the north of Kosovo, Dacic asked if Belgrade should publish the names of all Albanians who, according to him, have “demonstrated against Serbia for years”.
“Is this the road to normalization? I think that Serbs have the right to express their political views”, said Dacic.
The Kosovo Police has increased its presence in the northern part – inhabited by a majority of Serbs – as tensions have increased in this area. Kurti stated on July 3 that the authorities have identified 45 people who, according to him, participated in the attacks in the north of Kosovo.
Until now, the Kosovo Police has arrested several people for attacks on journalists, but also for the violent events of May 29 in Zveçan. That day, Serbian protesters clashed with soldiers of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, leaving dozens of people injured on both sides.
Kurti said that “not even a quarter” of the suspects for the attacks in the north have been arrested, “that’s why we have this situation”.
The international community is asking Kosovo and Serbia to immediately reduce tensions and hold new elections in the north./ REL
Global Courantl
