Vidovdan declaration: We want to live in peace with our neighbors; we will respond to those who want war

At the end of today's large Vidovdan gathering of the Serbs, which was held in North Mitrovica on the Brothers Milic Square, the former mayor of the Municipality of Zvecan, Dragisa Milovic, read the Vidovdan declaration, which stated that the Serbs from the north of Kosovo said that, if their persecution continued, they would be forced to respond to all those who wished them harm and who dreamt of war instead of peace.

Milovic added that the Serbs from the north said that they would be united in their just fight for remaining and survival in the territory of Kosovo and the defense of their homes and families.

The text of the Vidovdan Declaration, which Milovic read at the meeting, is reproduced in its entirety:

"We, the Serbian man and women from the north of Kosovo and Metohija, on Vidovdan 2023, out of obligation to our famous ancestors, their sacrifices and exploits, and out of responsibility to our children and future generations, to all of Serbia and the entire international community, we say:

 1. For more than two decades, and especially in the past few months, we, the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, from Strpce to Leposavic, have been faced with unprecedented violence, which, both because of the motive and the way it is carried out, cannot be called anything other than fascist. Since the beginning of the year, six of our compatriots, including two children, have been wounded in a burst of ethnic hatred with firearms. Milun, Dusan, Nemanja, Dalibor, Uros, and Nenad perish in the Pristina casemates, without any guilt, just because they do not agree that the Serbian name in Kosovo and Metohija will disappear quietly and without resistance. Serbian ancestral land is being confiscated so that our jailers can build their bases on it. Our sanctuaries are being desecrated in order to destroy every trace of our existence in these areas. Our municipalities and cities are occupied by force and long guns, those who, even according to the agreements reached with international mediation and guarantees, have nothing to do here. We call on the international community to take decisive steps in order to calm tensions, because we cannot tolerate this cruelty any longer!

2. Our suffering people have interwoven their faith in a better tomorrow into the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, which was also guaranteed by the international community. For ten years we have been waiting for our right to a life worthy of a human being in the 21st century, for our stay and survival in these areas. The time has come for the truth to be brought to light and on this Vidovdan to be clearly stated – if we will have the CSM. Otherwise, we know what to do.

3. Realizing that what happens here, in the state and spiritual cradle of our nation, will inevitably have consequences for all citizens of Serbia and the whole of Serbia, we undertake to continue our just struggle for stay and survival in Kosovo and Metohija wisely and responsibly, always leaving reasonable room for dialogue and compromise. In this legitimate struggle, we are counting on the help and support of our only country, Serbia, and our president, Aleksandar Vucic, who has always been our biggest supporter.

4. The Serbs, after two world wars, in which, fighting on the side of good and against world evil, made untold sacrifices and came to the brink of survival, even after being persecuted from their hearths and bombed beyond all rights and laws, is unwaveringly committed to peace. Unfortunately, we are witnessing that the peace is endangered by the one who has Serbian blood spilled every day before his eyes. That is why we are saying from this place to the entire community - we want to live in peace with our Albanian neighbors and to build a common future on humane and democratic foundations because no one's future has ever been built on someone else's misfortune. Living here and not intending harm to anyone, we demand the right to life and the future, and we will not allow anyone to deny us that right. The Serbs will never, at any cost, leave what is our land by human and divine right. We are ready to make the biggest sacrifices, which only someone who is fighting for bare survival can make.

5. On the eve of Vidovdan, when everything is seen, and when every given word becomes a vow, we the Serbian men and women from the north of Kosovo and Metohija say that, if the cruelty against our people continues, we will be forced to respond to all those who wish us harm, who dream of war instead of peace, and we will be united in our just fight to stay and survive in these areas and defend our homes and families."