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New tensions on the borders between Kosovo and Serbia. Peace in the hands of an Italian general

Tensions erupt again in the Balkans between Serbia and Kosovo, especially in the north of the small country where the majority of the population is still ethnic Serb, while the EU relaunches its enlargement plan in the region and reopens the entry process for the countries of the 'area.

Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday after a nightly exchange of fire with police following the arrest of a former Serbian policeman amid rising tensions between the authorities and the minority Kosovo Serb. In recent weeks, Serbs in northern Kosovo – which they consider part of Serbia – have responded with violent resistance to moves in Pristina which they consider anti-Serb. Pristina has sent its special forces to restore order, but tension is growing.

EULEX, the European Union mission tasked with patrolling northern Kosovo, said a stun grenade was thrown at one of its armored vehicles on Saturday evening, but no one was injured. At the same time Serbia would have decided to send about a thousand soldiers to the borders, to protect the Serbian minorities in a region that both international treaties and Belgrade still consider an integral part of its territory.

Serbia has convened its own security council with President Vucic. As reported by Dario D'Angelo at the end of the meeting, the Serbian president declared that he had obtained reassurances on the protection of the Serbian minority in Kosovo from the international peacekeeping force KFOR, of which Italy is a part and which is now under the command by the Italian divisional general Angelo Michele Ristuccia. Vucic asked for reassurance on the protection of the ethnic Serb population and the Italian contingent has a tradition of great seriousness and professionalism in this operation. So now the responsibility falls on the Italian general to provide sufficient and effective protection to the Serbian minority by preventing the excesses of the Albanians and therefore the intervention of Belgrade, even if many Serbs continue to see the current situation as an intolerable abuse. Furthermore, Vucic fears actions of provocation "False flag" of the Kosovars. If KFOR manages to provide sufficient guarantees of security to the Serbs, this crisis will also be defused, otherwise we will come to a new direct conflict in the Balkans.


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The article New tensions on the borders between Kosovo and Serbia. Peace in the Hands of an Italian General comes from Scenari Economici .


This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/nuove-tensioni-ai-confini-fra-kosovo-e-serbia-la-pace-nelle-mani-di-un-generale-italiano/ on Mon, 12 Dec 2022 07:00:55 +0000.