Increasing Tensions Prompt Serbia to Threaten Military Intervention in Kosovo

74

Amid escalating tensions, Serbia has once again issued a warning of potential armed intervention in its former province of Kosovo. The threat is contingent upon the failure of NATO-led peacekeepers to safeguard minority Serbs from what Belgrade perceives as a terrorist threat posed by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian authorities.

Speaking in a televised address, General Milan Mojsilovic, the Chief of Staff of the Serbian army, expressed the Serbian people’s inability to endure any longer the acts of terror perpetrated by the Kosovo government. He emphasized that Serbia’s military is fully prepared to fulfill its duties in accordance with the Serbian constitution and any directives from President Aleksandar Vucic.

In response to recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo police, and NATO-led peacekeepers (referred to as KFOR), Serbia has placed its troops on the highest state of alert along the Kosovo border. NATO has dispatched additional forces in recent weeks to prevent a potential confrontation between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.

Should Serbia follow through with armed intervention in Kosovo, it would inevitably result in a direct confrontation with the approximately 4,000 NATO troops presently stationed in the region.

Serbia and Kosovo have been engaged in a protracted dispute for decades, with their 1998-99 war resulting in over 10,000 deaths, primarily Kosovo Albanians. Belgrade has consistently refused to recognize Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008.

Tensions were reignited last month when Kosovo police seized control of municipal buildings in northern Kosovo, an area predominantly inhabited by Serbs. This move aimed to install ethnic Albanian mayors who had been elected in a local election overwhelmingly boycotted by the Serbian population.

The latest escalation centers around the arrest of at least eight Serbs suspected of involvement in violent clashes with NATO troops and Kosovo police the previous month, leading to numerous injuries on all sides.

During his address, General Mojsilovic reiterated that Kosovo Serbs can no longer endure the oppressive regime of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He conveyed Serbia’s urgent demand for KFOR and other international organizations to take immediate action to protect the Serbian people.

Emergency talks held in Brussels between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo failed to yield any breakthroughs, raising concerns of a potential return to open conflict. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, described the escalating ethnic tensions in northern Kosovo as highly alarming, emphasizing that such developments would not be tolerated.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged that the alliance’s peacekeepers would continue to act impartially and bolster their presence to ensure a secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo.

Both Serbia and Kosovo aspire to EU membership, which necessitates the normalization of their relations.

There are apprehensions that Serbia’s ally, Russia, may seek to incite another armed conflict in central Europe as a diversionary tactic, drawing international attention away from Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about armed intervention

More about armed intervention

• Serbia-Kosovo Relations: Background and Key Issues – Council on Foreign Relations provides an overview of the background and key issues in the Serbia-Kosovo relations.
• NATO and Kosovo – Official NATO website offering information on NATO’s role and activities in Kosovo.
• Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue – European Commission’s page on the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, highlighting EU involvement in facilitating talks and promoting normalization of relations.
• Kosovo: An Unresolved Conflict – International Crisis Group’s report providing analysis and insights into the unresolved conflict between Kosovo and Serbia.
• Background on the Kosovo War – Britannica’s comprehensive overview of the Kosovo War, including its causes, events, and consequences.