The Serbian army remains on high alert amid tensions in northern Kosovo. “We are not preparing to intervene, but we are ready for any scenario,” the Serbian defense minister said.
Due to the situation in the north of Kosovo, the Serbian president put the army on high alert on Friday. In addition, the Serbian defense minister announced in a press release that he had ordered an urgent move of the army to the border with Kosovo.
On Saturday, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that putting the army on high alert does not mean that Belgrade intends to intervene in Kosovo. However, he added that the government is ready for any scenario.
“We will certainly defend our people, but we hope that there will be no need for military intervention,” Dacic said. In his opinion, the situation in Kosovo is currently “one of the most dangerous”. “The basics of existence of Serbs in Kosovo and Metochia, i.e. the local government, have been hit,” Daczic said. The Serbian authorities, which do not recognize Kosovo’s independence, use the name Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Albanians do not use the name Metochia at all – they call the region Dukagjin.
– We are not in favor of conflict, we want peace, but all of Serbia stands behind our people in Kosovo and Metohija, which is why President Aleksandar Vucic ordered the army to be put on high alert – not because we are preparing to intervene, but because we are ready for every scenario.
Serbia mobilizes the army. They are heading towards Kosovo
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has decided to mobilize troops because of violence allegedly committed by the Kosovo police against Serbs in the towns of Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić. The president was also to ask NATO for help. Clashes between Serbs and police in the town of Zvečan broke out on Friday. Then the uniforms tried to help the newly elected mayor to enter the seat of the commune authorities located there. A little earlier, local residents, who are mostly Serbs, tried to boycott the elections taking place there.
Serbs in Zvečany set fire to a police car. They say ten protesters were injured. The Kosovo side, on the other hand, reports that at least five Kosovo policemen were injured. Eventually, the police managed to break the Serbian cordon, and together with the new mayor, Elbert Krasniqi, the Kosovar Minister of Local Government, entered the office. In Leposavić, the Serbs blocked the entrance roads to the city.
Serbs boycott the new government
During the April elections held in Zvečan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok, the new leaders were boycotted by the Serbs and received 114, 100 and 200 votes respectively. Voter turnout was less than 3.5 percent. Local Serbs then decided that they would not cooperate with the new mayors because they are Albanians and do not represent them. Ethnic Albanians make up 90% of the population. Kosovo’s population, however, the Serbs predominate in the northern part. In March, the governments of Kosovo and Serbia agreed that local Serbs would have greater autonomy in the northern regions, but the Kosovo government still holds supreme power there.
Vicic seems to give up some power
The situation is also tense in Serbia. Mass shootings in the country are followed by marches against power, which is almost entirely concentrated in the hands of the president. On Friday, a march organized by the president took place.
The organizers of the marches under the slogan “Serbia Against Violence” demand a complete ban on showing criminals in the media and promoting violent behavior on reality shows. They also demand the resignation of members of the media market regulator (the equivalent of the Polish National Broadcasting Council), the minister of internal affairs, the head of the Serbian news agency, and the removal of the Pink and Happy broadcasting licenses.
On Saturday, another, probably the most numerous march of opponents of the government took place so far.
President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Saturday that he was resigning from the Serbian Progressive Party. In his opinion, such a solution is necessary to unite “those who want to fight for the victory of a patriotic Serbia, a successful Serbia that focuses on citizens, which does not seek division, but unity.”
Vucic announced his decision at the party congress, the day after the march of support for the Serbian authorities. The power in the party will be taken over by Defense Minister Milos Vucevic, as proposed by the president. The change in the position is only symbolic – Vczić is an autocrat who stakes positions with his people, de facto exercising power himself.
The change is all the more irrelevant as, according to announcements, in a month’s time the president will announce the creation of an umbrella political organization, which will include the Serbian Progressive Party.
Source: gazeta.pl
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