Today, the northern part of Mitrovica saw the brief visit of two Kosovo government ministers, Artane Rizvanolli, the Minister of Economy, and Elbert Krasniqi, the Minister of Local Government Administration. Their visit included a stop at the recently opened office of the Kosovo Energy Efficiency Fund.
The ministers’ stay was short-lived, as they proceeded over the Ibar Bridge towards the southern part of the city. However, their presence was met with protests from activists of the Serbian Democratic Party, who expressed their discontent by blowing whistles.
Notably, the ministers’ visit was not announced to most local media outlets in the north. Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Banjska, another Kosovo official, Xhelal Sveçla, the head of the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs, was also present, speaking to a small group of media representatives, again without prior notice.
During his interview conducted in Albanian, Sveçla switched to Serbian to address the journalists, acknowledging the significance of his visit just a day before the anniversary of the conflict in the area. He confirmed that commemorations would take place, starting with a visit to the grave of Afrim Bunjaku, a Kosovo police officer killed in the violence last year. While Sveçla hinted at remembering the tragic events and their impact on families and colleagues, he did not provide specific details about further commemorative activities.
Reflecting on the past year, Sveçla stated that life in Banjska has „returned to normal“, highlighting that the Kosovo police demonstrated professionalism during the previous conflict by ensuring that no civilians were harmed.
This is yet another visit by a group of ministers who regularly come to the North without notifying local media.
Kosovo officials are regularly greeted and seen off with discontent by members of the Serbian Democratic Party and certain civil activists.
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the conflict in Banjska, where Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was first killed in an ambush or roadblock, followed by the killing of three local Serbs during a clash that erupted between strong Kosovo police forces and a group of Serbs led by Milan Radoičić.
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