The situation in North Mitrovica teeters on the brink of a significant escalation following yesterday morning’s heavily armed police action by Kosovo authorities, Visoki Decani anounced yesterday.
The monastery reacted after the arrest of M.M. who is charged by the Kosovo authorities with three criminal offenses, including allegedly being „the main organizer of the attack on KFOR“. M.M. was arrested at noon in a hair salon in the center of town. The action itself shcoked citizens who happened to be nearby at the time.
The speed, place and suddenness of the action, and the fact some of the armed individuals involved in the action were plain-clothed, proved to be particularly traumatic for the eyewitnesses, who initially thought of „mass murders“ – as several of them testified for KoSSev.
Immediately after the arrest, while the action was still taking place, smaller groups tried to disrupt it by throwing stones at the police vehicles, while the police used tear gas.
The action prompted several hundred local Serbs to gather in downtown North Mitrovica to express their dissatisfaction, some visibly shaken.
Reports of arrests, the use of tear gas, and a growing number of people assembling in the streets in protest against the crackdown, signal a dramatic rise in tensions, Visoki Decani underlined.
“We pray to prevent any loss of human life. Such reckless behavior is akin to playing with matches next to a tinderbox.”
They pointed out the inflammatory nature of the situation, while pointing a finger at the Kosovo authorities, and “warmongering” media.
“Despite numerous international appeals for de-escalation, Kosovo authorities seem resolved to pursue a course that threatens to incite inter-ethnic conflict with unpredictable outcomes for all parties involved. An immediate international response is imperative to avert a crisis. It’s crucial that moderate voices are heard, and not just the inflammatory reports from warmongering media.”
The monastery said that the resolution to Kosovo’s issues lies in the continuation of dialogue and unwavering respect for previously established agreements.
“This particularly includes the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities (ASM), a provision also advocated for by the US and EU. This has been a consistent emphasis during the peaceful Kosovo Serb protests in recent days,” they concluded.
Read more:
Vlajic: Serb M.M. remanded 48-hour custody, charged with three criminal offenses
SNF: Srpska Lista has lost its credibility to represent Kosovo Serbs
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
