Kosovo cracks down in criminality in the north

Kosovar Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla announced the arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in smuggling and the threatening of Deputy Mayor of Leopsavic, Dragana Miletic, has been arrested while President Vjosa Osmani said the time of impunity for organised crime in the north has ended.

North Kosovo, inhabited by a Serb majority, has been in a state of tension for the last two weeks after Serbs protested against the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in four municipalities. The mayors took office after ethnic Serbs resigned en masse in December in protest over Pristina’s policies, resulting in elections that Belgrade demanded Serbs boycott.

Svecla wrote on Facebook, “The day before yesterday, the smuggling of goods was banned, yesterday the car was confiscated in an international search, today the person who threatened the deputy mayor of Leposaviq municipality, Mrs Dragana Miletic. All this is in the north of the country. The time of impunity has ended”

This is the latest arrest following others relating to drug labs, illegal cryptocurrency mining, setting fire to vehicles that complied with Pristina’s new car licensing rules, and violence exerted during protests and blockades.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has long condemned the criminality in the north and said they are attributable to “illegal structures transformed into criminal gangs financially and politically supported by Belgrade.”

After meeting with US Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and his EU counterpart Miroslav Lajcak, Osmani reiterated the need for a strengthened rule of law in the region.

“In today’s meeting with Escobar and Miroslav Lajcak, I expressed our full commitment to continue working with partners to ensure the rule of law in the north of Kosovo.”

She added that impunity for criminal groups and those who have used violence against police, KFOR, EULEX and citizens should not be accepted, and new elections are possible, but only if they abide by the law, democratic principles and include everyone.

Kurti also met with Escobar, and following the meeting, the US envoy said the relationship between Kosovo and the US is strong and will not change but faces “some challenges” with Kurti.

“We will continue to be your strongest supporter in the international community,” adding “, we hope that people will understand that our current difficulties with the Prime Minister will not affect this sentiment”.

Escobar said the US is committed to Kosovo’s independence, sovereignty, security and economic prosperity.

“I will be very honest, the USA has been your biggest supporter, and it pains me to see that people think that somehow we are directing our relationship and engagement with Kosovo for the benefit of Serbia”, said Escobar.

While Escobar also called for the establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities, which was agreed on in 2013 but subsequently ruled unconstitutional by Pristina’s highest court, Kurti’s advisor made his stance known.

“The prime minister is elected by a people. Someone appoints the emissary. A people do not submit to an emissary”, said advisor Elvis Hoxha, highlighting the discrepancy in stating Kosovo should continue negotiations with Serbia as a state but yet trying to set conditions for an elected prime minister.

Meanwhile, a nine-point plan for normalising the situation in the north has been submitted to the missions in Pristina and Belgrade by the OSCE’s European head, Bujar Osmani. He clarified that it is not an OSCE plan as such, but instead of the Republic of North Macedonia and himself as chairman of OSCE.

OSCE reveals nine-point plan to reign in tensions in north Kosovo

The Kosovo office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has announced a nine-point plan to de-escalate tensions in the north of Kosovo and get both sides back to the negotiating table to normalise relations amid declining …

(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)