Mijacic: After Banjska, the most important thing is to stabilize the north; international actors are on the move

Following the recent tragic events in Banjska, the key question is how to stabilize the north of Kosovo and maintain peace, according to Dragisa Mijacic, coordinator of the National Convention on the EU Chapter 35. He added that international actors now have the main role in calming tensions and preventing similar incidents in the future.

Mijacic says for Kosovo Online that the events in the village of Banjska on Sunday are truly tragic and unfortunate, and he reminds that today is a day of mourning in Serbian communities in Kosovo as well as in Pristina.

"Everyone mourns their dead. I personally feel discouraged that something like this has happened, and that such an incident has set us back many years. Now, the key question is how to stabilize the north and how to achieve peace. We know that even before this incident, there were many challenges in achieving peace and creating security in the north. With this incident, it will be even harder," he stated.

He believes that the crucial role, first and foremost, lies with international actors now to stop any form of violence in the north.

However, he emphasizes that Belgrade and Pristina also play a crucial role in calming tensions and addressing this event openly to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Commenting on Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's statement that nothing will be the same after these events, Mijacic says that unfortunately, he is right.

"After this incident, indeed, nothing will be the same. We may not like hearing it from Kurti, but after this incident, after the killing of a Kosovo police officer, and after all these tragic deaths of Serbian young men, nothing is the same, and the question arises of how to move forward. There is a possibility that this will continue through police repression, various searches, various controls, and a larger number of special police forces. If that happens, there will be a reaction again, unfortunately. Violence is not the solution; diplomacy is the solution. The solution lies in seeking a peaceful, political resolution," he stressed.

According to him, history teaches us that we cannot achieve peace through the use of security and paramilitary formations but only through negotiations.

"Hence, diplomacy is crucial, as well as the desire and will to create peace in this region," Mijacic says.

He notes that the international community will react after these events, and their response will primarily involve pressure on Belgrade.

"In a way, Belgrade is also responsible for such events, and this is somewhat evident in the communications of international envoys and representatives of diplomatic presidencies and Western political officials," he says.

Emphasizing that Belgrade is in a very difficult position, Mijacic also refers to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic's repeated request to Quint countries' representatives for KFOR to assume full security control in the north. He says that this request has been in place for many years.

"After this incident, I'm not sure if this request will be accepted, but solutions must be sought to calm the situation on the ground. From the moment Serbian police officers left the institutions, Serbs in the north of Kosovo could no longer solve any problems through violent actions. Only peaceful means, peaceful resistance, democratic methods, and diplomacy can be used to seek favorable solutions. The use of police, paramilitary, or any other formations will not benefit anyone, especially not the Serbs in northern Kosovo," Mijacic concludes.