Vujinovic: Serbs undesirable in Kosovar institutions, return to Police a political issue

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic claims that the return of Serbs to the Kosovo Police is not a procedural but a political issue, and it is difficult to implement because Pristina does not want Serbs in its institutions.

"This problem will be resolved politically, just as it arose. We have a large number of people who have left the institutions who meet all these supposed criteria. It is unquestionable that they will meet them again. The only question is whether there will be a political agreement to make this happen," said Vujinovic to Kosovo Online.

He reminds that the Serb List, or members of the Serbian community, exited these institutions due to the behavior of Albin Kurti, which has not changed.

"The Serbian community, led by the government in Belgrade, must primarily talk with the sponsors of Albin Kurti to reach this political agreement," emphasizes Vujinovic. Commenting on the initiative of NGOs from northern Kosovo to expedite the return of Serbs to the Kosovo Police, he pointed out two key problems, one of which is the mistrust of the Serbian community in Kosovar institutions.

"I fear that trust in these institutions will be problematic even when Serbs are part of them. When you drive from Zvecan to Kosovska Mitrovica, you see a police officer, but you don't know if it's a Serb or an Albanian. And the fear, insecurity will rise among the people," noted Vujinovic.

As the second issue, he highlights the absence of desire by the authorities in Pristina for Serbs to be part of the institutions.

"Kosovar institutions do not want Serbs in their institutions. That's why we had this attempt to prevent the Serb List from running in the elections," stresses Vujinovic.

Otherwise, he believes, institutional violence against Serbs in northern Kosovo would cease.

He also believes that the claims of Pristina officials wanting the integration of Serbs are not based on facts.

"It's just a narrative level for the international community. Just as the Community of Serb Municipalities has been forming for years and constantly moves from the government, the Constitutional Court to the parliament of Kosovo, so is this story about the desire for Serbs to return to institutions. This desire is merely fictitious," Vujinovic is convinced.

On the other hand, he points out, distrust is the main challenge for the return of the Serbian community to Kosovar institutions, especially the police and security sector.

"The behavior in recent months, even over the past year, of the Kosovo Police and Kosovar security forces has been so poor towards the Serbian community that I simply cannot imagine a Serbian parent in Kosovo and Metohija looking at it with any trust," explains Vujinovic.

He emphasizes that this problem will also reflect on those Serbs who decide to return to the police.

"They must struggle with two woes. First, the distrust of Kosovar institutions in Pristina, who believe they are just some exponents of 'evil Belgrade.' And on the other hand, their own community. Every day you drink coffee in cafes with your compatriots, who will surely blame you for why you returned, I have no doubt about that. And secondly, they will expect you to change something, but I fear that there is no strength without the will of the international community," concludes Vujinovic.