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HYPOCRITICAL PROTEST: 52 Serbian and 41 KFOR soldiers injured in Kosovo, including Hungarians

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2023.05.30.

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Olvasási idő: 4 perc

In the Monday protest that took place in Zvečan, 52 Serbs and 41 KFOR soldiers were injured, among them 20 Hungarians, some of whom sustained severe injuries. The predominantly Serbian city witnessed clashes between Serbs obstructing the inauguration of an Albanian mayor, who was elected with a mere 3% support, and Hungarian and Italian KFOR troops deployed to maintain order. During an evening press conference, the Serbian President confirmed that three KFOR soldiers were severely wounded but expressed hope that their lives were not in danger.

Mayors Elected in Restrooms

Aleksandar Vučić, announcing the figures during his evening press conference, stated that the Serbs’ grievances were not with KFOR but with the Kosovo Special Police Units (ROSU) and the false mayors.

According to the Serbian President, the Eastern Regional Commander of KFOR acknowledged his understanding of the Serbian demands and promised to relay them to the relevant authorities.

“For months, we have been saying: Kurti’s only desire is to provoke conflicts and bloodshed. Few wanted to hear the truth and understand the essence”

– said the Serbian President, who blamed Albin Kurti, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, for orchestrating the events while he washes his hands “like Pontius Pilate”.

– Ha ezek ártatlan zvečani polgárok, akkor én Brad Pitt vagyok – írta a Twitteren egy szerb kommentelő

Vučić expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that KFOR soldiers did not protect the Serbs despite providing assurances on multiple occasions that they would do so.

“Kurti chose his so-called mayors in restrooms or in his cabinet”

– remarked the Serbian President, who also revealed that a Serbian man had been shot twice in the back and required surgery, with his survival dependent on the absence of complications. Other sources also confirmed that the man in his fifties is in critical condition.

Are Clashes with NATO Being Avoided?

The Serbian President has urged Kosovo Serbs not to engage in conflicts with NATO forces.

“Not because I or anyone else is afraid, but because Kurti desires it the most”

– stated the Serbian President, adding that Serbs refuse to accept occupation. He emphasized that this is his final appeal to the international community to bring Albin Kurti to his senses and take necessary measures.

“I ask Serbs to protest peacefully, just like today, because then no one can defeat them”

– added the Serbian President, stating that they will not allow Serbs to be expelled from Kosovo or subjected to programs against them.

The “peaceful nature” of the protest will be discussed further.

The Kosovar Prime Minister sees things differently

Albin Kurti believes that the riots were provoked by ultranationalist Serbian forces, who painted graffiti with four Cyrillic C letters on a NATO vehicle. The message “Samo sloga Srbina spašava” that translates to “Only unity saves the Serb(s).”

Kurti expressed that this graffiti evokes dark times in Kosovo.

The Kosovar Prime Minister acknowledged concerns about violence and condemned attacks against the Kosovar police, NATO-KFOR, and journalists. He reiterated their commitment to peace and security.

Following the events, Jeff Hovenier, the U.S. Ambassador to Pristina, also spoke out, strongly condemning the violent actions of protesters in Zvečan. This includes the use of explosives by Serbs against NATO-KFOR troops striving to maintain peace.

Hovenier Reiterates Call to Serbian Protesters to Stop Violence, Criminal Elements among Protesters.

Hovenier reiterated his call for immediate cessation of violence and actions that fuel tension and promote conflicts.

A “békés tüntetők” között sokan voltak, akik olyan sapkát viseltek, mint Veljko Belivuk, hírhedt szerb bűnöző

Criminal elements were among the Serbian protesters

According to the Albanian-language portal of Radio Free Europe criminal elements were among the Serbian protesters.

Several photos have been published on the portal, aiming to provide evidence that criminals were present among the protesters. The images show men with their faces mostly covered, wearing the same caps as Veljko Belivuk (Velja Nevolja), the notorious gang leader involved in serious crimes. A former Serbian Democratic Party politician commented that the caps worn by Velja Nevolja are very popular in Zvečan.

Previously, it had been suggested that Belivuk’s men, acting on the orders of the Serbian President, assaulted protesters during several demonstrations in Belgrade. The gang leader himself mentioned during court hearings that he had performed certain services for the Serbian President, which Vučić denied.

Participants in the current opposition rallies also complained about various elements infiltrating the crowd with the intention of committing violent acts to discredit the movement.

BALK previously drew attention to the fact that these individuals are members of a formation called the People’s Patrol (Narodna Patrola), which is directly connected to the Russian Wagner Group.

The People’s Patrol previously instigated tensions at the Kosovo-Serbia border, but there are other Serbian groups besides them that seek to liberate Serbian territories and reclaim the entirety of Kosovo.

Furthermore, photos have surfaced on social media allegedly showing Hungarian and Italian KFOR members being attacked not by Kosovar Serbian protesters but by Serbian police officers.

One photo allegedly depicts Dragan Smigič, an employee of the Rudare village police station in Serbia, actively assaulting KFOR troops. Videos of him engaging in physical altercations with KFOR forces, accompanied by the individuals wearing caps, have also emerged.

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Vučić is less willing to ask KFOR for the northern areas. Elections on December 17?

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2023.09.28.

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Olvasási idő: 5 perc

The Serbian President gave a tense interview to the Serbian state television (RTS) about the events in Banjska and other current issues. For example, Aleksandar Vučić criticized the channel for broadcasting drone footage of the events on Sunday, which had been posted on the internet by the Kosovar Minister of Interior. The provocative presidential behavior was not directed at a specific host but rather at the institution itself. The Serbian President had a similarly dismissive attitude toward another host in the past.

They had been preparing for the rebellion for a year

President Aleksandar Vučić, in an interview on RTS’s “Oko” program, stated that the Kosovo Serbs were mourning only their own dead, while Serbia commemorated all killed Serbs and the murdered Kosovar police officer on Wednesday. He explained that, according to the Serbian constitution, which regards Kosovo as part of Serbia, they are all Serbian citizens.

This was a strong start, as the photographs of the Kosovar Albanian police officers were not displayed at Serbian memorials, certainly not at the St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, and Serbian media did not communicate this to the audience.

There were only three photos at the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade (Screenshot)

He also added that, for him, the killed Serbs would “never be terrorists” but rather family people.

The Serbian President denied the claim by Kosovo’s Minister of Interior that Aleksandar Vulin’s bodyguard, or someone who served as his bodyguard, died in the attack. In fact, the man allegedly served as a security officer for the current director of the Security Information Agency ten years ago.

Vučić also revealed that he has had information for a year that Kosovo (and Metohija) Serbs were preparing for resistance, as they had erected barricades more than a year ago.

– The situation is hot, call it whatever you want, the church, you or me. Kurti did it; he united the Serbs

– the Serbian President said. He also noted that the Kosovo Prime Minister had turned everyone against him, and as a result, they would all fight against him, even if they all perish, but they won’t “board the tractor,” meaning they won’t leave their homeland.

Vučić pointed out that Albin Kurti, the Kosovo Prime Minister, systematically targeted and destroyed the Serbian people because he hates them.

The Serbian president also spoke about the fact that Milan Radoičić, the vice-president of the Serbian List, who was accused of leading the group, never hid it and was not ashamed of his role, so he must be willing to be interrogated by the Serbian authorities, because he is in Central Serbia and thus available to the authorities. Vučić also revealed that Radoičić was not injured.

However, he said that one of the Serbian victims was shot in the head at point-blank range, which is known in Serbia as “overa” (control), and the Serbian president also used this term.

The relationship with KFOR is correct

The Serbian President also discussed the role of international organizations. He mentioned that EULEX was not allowed near the events because not only Kosovo people but also people from the Presevo Valley, known to the Serbian police, were present at the scene.

Regarding communication between the Serbian Army and the KFOR headquarters, Vučić said it was correct because Angelo Michele Ristuccia, the KFOR commander, is a serious person.

Belgrád sokkal aktívabb szerepet vár a KFOR-tól, amelyben több száz magyar katona teljesít szolgálatot

However, there appears to be a difference in opinion between the Serbian President and the Serbian Minister of Defense, Miloš Vučević. The latter stated that communication between Serbia and KFOR had been reduced to “elementary technical levels.”

Vučić responded to the demands of Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić and the mentioned Minister of Defense that KFOR take over security in the northern areas. He stated that he could not guarantee the feasibility of this and that Serbs would get along with KFOR because, at least, KFOR wouldn’t break into their homes.

For those with a slightly better memory, they will surely recall that the Serbian President wrote on Instagram just two days ago that he had asked the Quinta Ambassadorial Group to have KFOR take care of all security issues in Northern Kosovo instead of “Kurti’s police.”1

Regarding this, the Serbian President presented another scenario and suggested attempting dialogue to compel Kurti to establish the Community of Serbian Municipalities (Zajednica Srpskih Opština, ZSO), which would place the police under Serbian control, and Serbian police officers would take charge of matters.

The Serbian President believes this is why Kurti does not want to fulfill this Serbian demand, even though the people are on the brink of rebellion.

Vučić may or may not fulfill it

The Serbian President appears to be planning to hold early elections not in March or February but as early as December 17 or possibly December 23, complying with opposition demands.

He plans to hold various local elections at that time, despite the opposition’s specific request to hold only the Belgrade elections alongside the early elections and not to include regional or local elections.

Regarding some of the opposition’s election demands, the Serbian President stated that he fully accepted opposition proposals, but as the previous sentence suggests, this is not entirely true.

Vučić did not rule out that he would lead the Serbian Progressive Party’s list if asked, which, as previously noted here on BALK, is quite inappropriate given his position as the President of all Serbian citizens.

Aleksandar Vučić, the Serbian President, also reported that a new indictment has been filed against Vojislav Šešelj in The Hague. He emphasized that the indictment was filed against Šešelj and four others for contempt of court.