The United States warns of a heavy Serbian military deployment on the Kosovo border

2023-09-30 11:24:15

Tension does not fall between Serbia and Kosovo. Through the voice of John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, the United States called on Friday September 29 “Serbia to withdraw troops” massed on the border with Kosovo. “We see a significant Serbian military deployment along the border with Kosovo”described John Kirby, reporting an implementation ” unprecedented “ artillery, tanks and infantry units.

The spokesperson did not wish to comment on the risk of a possible invasion of Kosovo, whose independence Serbia does not recognize, and which has been in the grip of very high tensions since the murder of a police officer. Kosovar patrolling the border between the two countries by a Serbian commando, Sunday September 24.

However, the American national security spokesperson announced that NATO would “increase your presence” in the north of the territory of this former Serbian province. NATO has declared itself ready to reinforce the strength of KFOR, the force it deploys in Kosovo, to “deal with the situation”, said Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a press release on Friday. The British Ministry of Defense specified that a battalion, approximately 500 to 650 men, had been made available to Kfor, in case of need in Kosovo. Last May, KFOR had already strengthened its presence in Kosovo, by deploying around 500 Turkish soldiers, then replaced by Bulgarian and Greek personnel.

A heavy liability

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have never reached such heights in recent years. The history between the two countries is old. Serbia refuses to recognize the independence that its former southern province proclaimed in 2008. A veritable powder keg in the Balkans, Kosovo (1.9 million inhabitants) is populated by a majority of Albanians and a Serbian minority. (120,000 people) in the North. Any progress towards normalization of relations between the two countries fails due to the refusal of Serbia, supported by Russia, to recognize Kosovo.

The latest waves of violence between the two countries date back to spring, when Kosovar authorities decided to appoint Albanian mayors in four Serbian-majority municipalities. The latest attempts at discussions between Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of Kosovo, and Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian President, failed in mid-September after just a few hours.

The current escalation was provoked by the killing of a Kosovar Albanian policeman on Sunday, September 24, in an ambush in northern Kosovo. A shootout followed, between the special forces of the Kosovar police and a heavily armed Serbian commando, who found refuge in the Orthodox monastery of Banjska, located in Kosovo. Kosovar forces took control of this monastery on Tuesday, where the police discovered fatigues, automatic weapons, ammunition by the hundreds… enough to arm at least 300 people, according to an international source wishing to remain anonymous.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the President, Vjosa Osmani, accuse Belgrade of having led this commando. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied responsibility for the situation, saying the attackers were Kosovo Serbs.