-
By:
Emine Shehu
- December 10, 2022 11:53
- Share to:
Serbia has threatened Kosovo with the return of military forces to its territory, amid tensions in the north of the country, which for days have been accompanied by incidents including gunfire, hand grenades and stun grenades.
The Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Bërnabiq, said on Friday that Belgrade is close to the decision to request the return of its troops to Kosovo, while a day earlier the same threat was made by the director of the so-called office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government. Petar Petkovic.
Meanwhile, the United States of America is calling on all involved to refrain from inflammatory language and attempts to instill fear.
"We ask that all involved exercise restraint and refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and deliberate attempts to deceive and create fear in the municipalities of northern Kosovo. The US continues to urge Kosovo and Serbia to avoid any action or statement that leads to further escalation of tensions", a spokesperson of the American Embassy told TIME.
Bërnabiqi complained on Friday that the European Union is not reacting to what is happening and that KFOR is not doing its job to protect the Serbs in Kosovo.
Meanwhile, the USA has condemned the violent incidents that happened in the last few days in the north of Kosovo. She said that "the use of violence and intimidation, including the use of explosive devices, is never an appropriate method of protest and endangers innocent lives."
Since December 6, the Police in the north have faced continuous attacks by unknown persons. They started when the police were escorting election officials to their offices in northern Mitrovica and Zubin Potok, while the authorities are continuing preparations for the local elections in the north, set for December 18.
After the incidents, the USA has called for the postponement of the elections, arguing that there are no conditions for holding them.
As Bërnabiq said on Friday, Aleksandër Vuçiqi is expected today (December 10) to provide details regarding the request for the "return of forces to Kosovo".
