“We are in a very difficult time,” the British ambassador, Nicholas Abbott, said in an interview with KoSSev. There is a high level of sensitivity, and each community is very much on edge. The ambassador revealed that this is why he is afraid of “small incidents”, as a random chaotic element to any conflict situation has a great effect. Therefore, everybody must act carefully, Abbott added. He called for cooperation between the two governments and the international community, placing a focus on communication with the Serbs in the north. “In this situation, we really need to be closer to the ground and hear the community about what kind of future they want to have,” he also said.
The issue of security in the north is a hard issue, he underlined, adding that it needs to be “contained or resolved in a way that ensures no more people are hurt, there is no risk of people being killed.” Ultimately, those are the risks we are now living with, Abbott warned.
“There is a greater level of sensitivity and small things can really matter. Small incidents, small misunderstandings can cause greater effect, and that’s what I’m actually afraid of. Because you cannot control everything. Not all actors are controlled. There is a random chaotic element to any conflict situation at whatever level. And I fear we are in that space,” he said He later added that:
“We appear to be in a situation where everybody is not just reacting sensitively but almost fearfully, and everybody believes that they are trying to protect themselves in some way.”
According to the ambassador, trust between communities cannot be established with police control over a territory, while the situation in the north is reminiscent of the one in Northern Ireland. Although it is the UK’s position that the special police units should be able to operate in the north, namely, concerning particular tasks related to crime and smuggling” Abbott specified.
He also called for an increased presence for EULEX instead of the special police.
“There is a role for KFOR, but KFOR is not a police force, there is a role for EULEX, and it is perhaps a little cheeky for the British ambassador to say that we need to see more of EULEX. But I think that’s necessary, I think this is a space in which the nature of policing is very important. Unsurprisingly, it would be better if the Kosovo Serb police have not left last November.”
He argued that the events in the last year have been difficult and frustrating, and that the more serious direction and momentum were at hand, while the progress achieved with the Ohrid Agreement created a space in which many different issues could be resolved.
“Unfortunately, that isn’t where we are and we have to recognize that the unilateral action of May 26th by the Kosovan government to forcefully install mayors in the municipal offices has changed the parameters of the issue and in some ways has made things much more difficult. That does not necessarily mean that Kosovo and the Kosovo government are a destabilizing factor within the region. But that action, I think, has certainly been destabilizing in terms of relationships within this community, but in the broader communities within Kosovo as well.“
Abbott said that many diplomats wonder as to why that was necessary, bearing in mind that the crisis in the north is going to take „quite a long time“ to be resolved.
Therein lie the risks because we are in an unstable security situation, he assessed.
„I think, while there are clearly discussions at the moment how to, well, if not how to contain the situation, then how to move to resolve it. I think it’s going to take quite a long time to do that, and there lies the risks, because we are in an unstable security situation as well.“
The British government has considered possible measures against Kosovo, but has not yet acted, although Abbott stresses that they are “aware of the things they could do.”
“Prime Minister Kurti was in London just under two weeks ago and saw the Foreign Secretary while he was there. I was at that meeting. The Foreign Secretary was very clear – we expect Prime Minister Kurti and his government and his security authorities to de-escalate the situation.”
“I think it’s very clear in our minds that that means municipal mayors not necessarily having to work from municipal buildings. We don’t believe that’s necessary. More importantly, the special police units don’t have a role in the centers of population. They should not be used as regular police. There is a real opportunity to allow that responsibility to lie with the regular police force. Special police have particular training that is not served by them looking into buildings. In terms of removing a point of friction, it’s very important for those special police units not just to be reduced but actually to be moved out of the centers of population.”
If you want to establish the rule of law in the north of Kosovo – it requires the police, judiciary, prosecution. I don’t believe that they can simply come from the south of the Ibar, he added.
When asked whether he expects the situation to deescalate in the next two weeks – as was nominally requested, and apparently agreed upon in Bratislava, Abbott revealed that he is cautious and concerned.
“My concern is specificity. I think it’s a good step politically to see that Kosovo is ready to take measures or move towards it, but we have to see that happen. We, along with other international partners and KFOR, have looked very closely at the presence of the police in the north. It is very much monitored, I think, and very much hope, that over the next few days, the next week, we’ll be able to actually judge whether or not there has been a reduction.”
He added that his country has had a long experience of difficult policing situations because of their experience in Northern Ireland.
“Where the police played multiple roles in situations between different communities where there are tensions and violence. A lot of what I have seen in the north has reminded me of that. And it’s why I think what we really need is not just to perhaps focus on percentages or words of encouragement. What we really need is to understand the impact of the behavior of the police on the community, how that can be modified, and also how that can be changed. My concern at the moment, as you mentioned, is the specificity of everything. You know, a certain percentage is a good way to go, it looks as if there will be a reduction, but as we say in English ‘the devil is in the detail’ – who, where, when, on what basis, where do they go.”
We are in a very difficult time, the British ambassador underlined in an interview for KoSSev.
Therefore, he emphasized that everybody must think and act carefully, taking the future into consideration, leading the dialogue, and bringing it closer to the ground, while also taking note of the voices within the community.
“Personally, I think we need to find a different way forward. I don’t think we can simply go back to what existed before and that can only come about through cooperation. Cooperation between the international community, the two governments – in Belgrade and Pristina, but also with the community here. I think it’s very important that the community look at they can put forward their voice into a lot of these conversations. Often, in terms of international negotiations, it happens in capitals. And I think that in this situation, we really need to be closer to the ground and hear the community about what kind of future they want to have,” Abbott concluded.
On Alicia Kearns’ allegations: We share KFOR’s position, no evidence.
He once again reiterated that the UK government shares KFOR’s position about the lack of evidence that the SOC is involved in arms smuggling, an allegation recently shared by the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, in the British parliament.
Abbott underlined that as an MP, Kearns did so independently, adding that she did not receive this information from the UK government. At the remark that she previously worked in the Foreign Office, and the practice that her messages would be filtered by this ministry, the ambassador replied:
“This is not information that was somehow filtered through the Foreign Office. Yes, she has worked for the Foreign Office before. I think she has worked for the Ministry of Defense. But in terms of these particular allegations, this is really her responsibility.“
The full interview will be published tomorrow
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
