Crime knows no ethnicity

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo rose again yesterday after the Kosovo police clashed with Serbs in the northern part of the country during an operation against suspected goods smugglers. Ten Serbs and ten policemen were injured.

Serbian officials reacted angrily and called on the international community to react urgently and prevent a wider-scale conflict.

The latest violence followed last month's conflict on the Kosovo-Serbia border over license plates. Tensions subsided after bilateral negotiations with the mediation of EU and US representatives, and KFOR took control of the border areas.

Yesterday, the Kosovo police launched an operation against the network of smugglers in four municipalities in Kosovo, including North Mitrovica. Eight persons were arrested, including one person of Serb and one Bosniac nationality. The statement adds that the action went without problems, except in North Mitrovica, where "criminal groups gathered in an organized manner, made roadblocks with various means of transport, and used gas bottles, stun grenades and hand grenades in the confrontation with customs officers and the police and fired from firearms".

Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo Dzhelalj Svecija he stated that the police action was not directed against any national community, and that the members of the special units that participated in the action in the north of Kosovo were mostly Serbs, and the majority of those arrested were Albanians.

Kosovo media reported that one police car and at least two other cars with Kosovo license plates were set on fire.

Serbian media reported an "extremely tense" situation in Serb-populated parts of Mitrovica after Kosovo police raided a pharmacy and several shops.

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić he told the Serbs from Kosovo that they must bear in mind the price they will have to pay if they decide to start violence against the Albanians. He urged them to be patient because Pristina does not want to honor "any agreement".

"They will not fulfill the Brussels agreement, and it is our salvation. If they resort to violence, you protect your people, and we will be with you, just keep in mind the price we will have to pay if you do that," Vučić said after a meeting in Raška with representatives of the Serbian List and citizens from the north of Kosovo. . He said that he is the special representative of the European Union for negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajčak said that Pristina "is being restrained, and if they are not able, we will restrain them".

"They told me - 'let's do it,'" recounted Vučić, stating that Pristina had the support of at least one western country, which is not a member of the EU, for yesterday's police action in the north of Kosovo.

Vučić asked NATO to do its job, because there will be no other way of defense if the Albanians continue to "shoot our people".

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani she said that yesterday's action by the Kosovo police against smuggling cannot be called an "action in the north", because according to her, it took place in different parts of Kosovo and that crime and criminal groups do not recognize ethnicity.

"The fight against organized crime is uncompromising and non-negotiable. Negotiating and compromising with crime means becoming part of it. Therefore, today's action by the Kosovo police and customs, authorized by the judicial institutions, cannot be called an 'action in the north', because it was an action in different parts of Kosovo, against people of different ethnic backgrounds, with the common denominator being the fight against smuggling and organized crime." , Osmani wrote on Facebook.

KFOR and its NATO command announced that the Kosovo Police carried out a law enforcement action and that they are in constant contact with the relevant Kosovo institutions, the Pristina agency telegrafi.com reported.

Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic she called on the international community, NATO and KFOR to react urgently regarding the action of the Kosovo police and to "rein in" the Prime Minister of Kosovo Aljbina Kurti.

"The situation is more than dramatic and this is the last moment in which a clear reaction is necessary in order to stop the insane policy implemented by Pristina. This kind of behavior has exceeded all measures and is bringing us to the brink of chaos," said Brnabić's written statement.

Kurti said that yesterday's action by the Kosovo police was preceded by an intensive investigation and that it was carried out by order and in coordination with the competent prosecutor's office and the court.

In a post on Facebook, Kurti called on citizens in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica not to fall under the influence of media from Serbia that "defend crime, corruption and smuggling and want to politicize them both ethnically."

Kurti stated that "goods and evidence, which represent material evidence, were confiscated."

"Crime and criminal groups will not be tolerated and will be suppressed. We will fight against smuggling and prevent it," Kurti wrote.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borel called for an immediate cessation of violence in the north of Kosovo.

"Unilateral and uncoordinated actions that threaten stability are unacceptable. All open issues must be resolved through dialogue (Belgrade and Pristina) with the mediation of the EU," Borel said on his Twitter account. He added that he is in constant contact with Belgrade and Pristina.

Chief of Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Kosovo Juan Dalipi he stated, in response to Borel's statement, that the events in the north of Kosovo are not an inter-ethnic problem but "violence caused by Serbian hooligans".

"Dear Mr. Borel, thank you for your concern. It is important not to portray the unfortunate violence caused by some hooligans organized by Belgrade as an inter-ethnic problem between Albanian and Serbian citizens in Kosovo," Dalipi wrote.

President of the Serbian List Goran Rakić he stated that the Serbs from Kosovo, if violent intervention by the Kosovo police occurs again, will resist with all available means, Beta reported.

"If something happens next time, we will have general resistance. Whatever that means and however you understand it. We will defend ourselves with everything available," said Rakić in Raška.

He said that the Serbs are determined to defend themselves "to the end" and added that he and the Serbian List will be "in front of the people" if there is new violence. He added that he would understand any intervention by the Kosovo police if it was in accordance with the regulations, but that he does not understand that someone is shooting at the people.

The gathered citizens asked Vučić to give them a decisive answer as to whether Serbia is capable of protecting them and reminded him of his earlier promise that "they will send the army if even one bullet flies towards them".