Regis Le Sommier: Serbs in Kosovo fear that they will no longer exist, Mattis between Haradinaj and Thaci

With a written testimony in the well-known French weekly "Valeurs actuelles" and a recorded video report, the famous French journalist, former assistant director of the editorial office of "Paris Match" and current director of the editorial office of "Omerta", Regis Le Sommier, drew attention in the last days of 2022 to the extremely difficult situation of the Serbs in Kosovo.

In an interview with Novosti, Sommier conveys his impressions of this shocking testimony.

"Before going to Kosovo, I had only superficial premonitions. Several things caught my attention. First of all, it is the hopeless situation of the Serbian community. I am not referring primarily to the north, although it is difficult there as well, with the deployment of the Kosovo police and the elections which were recently organized, because the Serbs are still the majority there and it will remain so. But enclaves, like Velika Hoca, are really in an unenviable position".

What did you find there?

Albanian pressure from outside is enormous. Our interlocutor, the president of the municipality of Gracanica, told us that the Albanians threw a Molotov cocktail at her neighbors' house. On one side of the street is the Serbian flag, on the other is the KLA flag. Something similar to what I experienced in my childhood, in Northern Ireland. Hate is felt. The elders, who have known war, know what horrors it can bring. Not all Albanians have the desire to eliminate the Serbs. But I was horrified by the behavior of young Albanians who look at Serbs as if they have no face. They see them as enemies.

You also witnessed the terror against the Petrovic family in Velika Hoca?

We were with them when Pristina sent the armed forces and special police to confiscate their wine. Banal situations take on dire proportions. The wine problem should have been solved with a misdemeanor fine. It's like that in every country. In Normandy, where I am now, when there is smuggling, the customs officials will not destroy 30,000 liters of Calvados, nor will Emmanuel Macron call the producer afterwards as a consequence. The problem is the administrative violence carried out by the authorities in Pristina.

In the text, you also highlight ethnic cleansing, with the information that there used to be 1,800 Serbs in Velika Hoca, but now there are only 500...

It is clear that it is very difficult for Serbs to live in this zone. And faith was put in great danger. Monasteries manage to survive with their splendor. Just when we were there, a Hungarian general was visiting. Before that, she was the French ambassador. They produce honey and wine. However, we should not forget that the property of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels is being reduced, and that in 2004 it was also set on fire.

Do you think that the Serbs will completely disappear in these areas?

Many of them fear it. But based on what I've seen, I don't think it's possible for Serbs to leave their monasteries. Religion and identity are connected among Serbs and are of great importance for the nation, similarly to Russia. The kings did not build magnificent palaces, they wanted to leave lavish church endowments. They built many of them in Kosovo, where the spiritual cradle of Serbia is located.

Why does the international community turn a blind eye to all this?

They make declarative statements, visit monasteries, but above all there is the classic perverse game of the Americans. You have to be naive to think that their goal is to do good to the world. I say this with a lot of experience, because I spent ten years there. I know their mentality. They create "proto-states" and Kosovo is one of them. It is enough to hear the statements of the American ambassador. His departure from reality is frightening. One can only laugh bitterly at that. For him, Albanians are good, Serbs are bad, and they are also friends of the Russians. In short, an extremely simplified picture. The US Embassy in Pristina is bigger than the government buildings! That says enough.

And the EU?

Europe blindly follows the Americans. Germans are also engaged in business, they have a lot of activities in Kosovo. I was amazed when every 500 meters I saw a gas station or a huge auto parts store. You can't see it from the Serbian side, because there aren't nearly as many businesses.

Is KFOR ready to do anything?

I asked them when the police came to the Petrovic family what they were going to do, but they refused to talk to me. They were just watching what was happening. The carabinieri in Kosovska Mitrovica are charming, but they do not intervene. In principle, they guard the Orthodox churches, and that's all.

Is war in Kosovo possible?

Things could get out of hand at any moment. And that is very worrying. Especially since young people live in hatred. They do not know the price that war can bring.

You also pointed out a large number of monuments to members of the KLA.

The monument to US General Mattis is located between two war criminals, Haradinaj and Thaci, who is on trial for crimes against humanity. It's really shocking. But it's all a matter of interest. The Americans have an interest in weakening Europe.