Milicevic: Real danger of new conflicts in Kosovo, constant repetition of crises

Miodrag Milicevic, Executive Director of the NGO "Aktiv," pointed out that there is a real danger of new conflicts in Kosovo, particularly in the north, due to the constant recurrence of crises with the potential for escalation.

"If you look at the last quarter of a century, 25 years, it's astonishing that we haven’t moved beyond the constant repetition of being in some form of crisis, with numerous crises having the potential for escalation and conflict. The international community continuously invests in stabilization rather than progress, and that is truly frustrating. On the other hand, it’s a signal to the international community that not enough has been done in terms of the normalization process and building trust, which would naturally lead to some kind of compromise regarding relations between Pristina and Belgrade," Milicevic told Kosovo Online.

According to him, the crisis in the north is not marked by "one or two incidents" but by a continuity of incidents that began two years ago.

"These incidents in northern Kosovo have been happening continuously over the past two and a half years, starting in September when the first intervention of special police units in northern Kosovo occurred, sparked by a conflict with the local population. That confrontation had significant consequences for the local community and, to some extent, for the special units of the Kosovo Police. This was an introduction, and instead of stabilizing the situation and returning to dialogue, the opposite occurred. We have seen a constant avoidance of political dialogue and the imposition of police rather than political solutions," Milicevic emphasized.

Miodrag Milicevic added that the initial interventions served as the prelude to a deepening crisis in northern Kosovo, which persists today. Both civil society representatives and political analysts have publicly pointed to this ongoing issue.

He believes that a pivotal moment came when the international community, particularly calling on the authorities in Pristina, requested de-escalation of the situation, followed by calls to both sides to return to the negotiating table.

"The critical moment was when neither side, particularly Pristina, was genuinely willing to withdraw special police forces from northern Kosovo and, instead of police intervention, allow political dialogue to take place," the analyst explained.

Milicevic doubts that the Pristina authorities, led by Albin Kurti, will continue provoking armed conflict, but he is convinced that they will persist in creating a "general danger."

"I have no doubt that, especially in this election year, the situation will be turbulent. I am certain that there will be periodic, let's say, turbulent periods, either involving special police forces or some kind of interventions, or even provocations. These are all things that, as experience has taught us, are very typical for this region," Milicevic warned.

Miodrag Milicevic finds it astonishing that, at this moment, there is no model for political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, either in Brussels or on Kosovo itself, nor for dialogue between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo.

"What is most important for us in the north is the stabilization of the situation through early elections, which would mark a period of political stability that is greatly needed in northern Kosovo. I would also add the urgency of returning Serbs to the institutions, at least those who still express a desire to return to these institutions, in order to uphold the Brussels Agreement and, of course, domestic legislation. This legislation, at least in this domain, mandates that the ethnic composition of the police must reflect the ethnic composition of the population in the areas and municipalities where they are located," Milicevic concluded.