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Is the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo escalating?
Marion NadlerRedaktor news
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo continue to rise. On Monday night, pictures and videos of troop movements appeared on social media On the Serbian border On that day. Next powder cake explosion in Eastern Europe?
What is the origin of conflict?
Konrad Clewing, a German Balkan expert at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, summed it up: “Serbia denies the existence of the state of Kosovo.” Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but is still considered a breakaway territory by Belgrade. Belgrade encourages the Serb minority in northern Kosovo to try to challenge Pristina’s authority.
“Serbia Denies State of Kosovo.”Dr. Konrad Cleving
Against the backdrop of recent tensions, the Pristina government had planned to hold local elections in Serb-majority areas on December 18. The main Serb party immediately announced its boycott, and as election officials were set to begin preparations earlier in the week, gunfire and explosions erupted.
What do government leaders say?
If the Prime Ministers of the two conflicting parties are verbal, the other side is firing back hard.
Kosovar Prime Minister Kurdi chose clear words: “The President and Prime Minister of Serbia threatened military aggression and called the Serbian army back to our territory. We are not looking for conflict, but for dialogue and peace. But I am clear: the Republic of Kosovo will defend itself – with all its strength and determination. “
How are Switzerland and the EU reacting?
So far, as with the EU, the focus has been on words. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said on Twitter on Monday that Switzerland is concerned about rising tensions and the setting up of blockades. It has been urged that both the parties should take immediate action to defuse the situation.
EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell strongly condemned the attack. All parties must refrain from any “escalation” and remain calm, Borrell explained on Twitter. He called on Kosovo Serbs to lift the blockade “immediately”.
“The West has not opposed Serbia decisively enough,” criticizes East European expert Cleaving. Because some European countries do not even recognize Kosovo’s independence. European countries that have yet to recognize Kosovo include Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Spain.
And how likely is war to escalate?
“I don’t think an invasion is possible,” Kluwing explains. “Because Serbia has to mess with NATO-led KFOR.” KFOR is the name given to the multinational peacekeeping force led by NATO after the end of the Kosovo War.
Instead, according to Kluwing, Serbia will pursue the conflict primarily at the level of the secret service. In the tension of the past few days, he sees at most a threatening gesture from Serbia.
What does enlargement mean for Swiss soldiers stationed in Kosovo?
In Kosovo Force (KFOR) Swisscoy, 195 Swiss men and women are currently deployed.
When asked by Blick, the Swissint qualification center in Stans NW said that the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have made no difference to the Swiss players currently on the ground.
How will the conflict be re-settled?
Serbia’s partly overt, partly covert presence in northern Kosovo will further undermine the neighboring country’s independence. Conversely, it will be difficult for Kosovo to build its institutions against the wishes of the population of Serbian origin. Both will make the situation worse.
Konrad Cleving therefore advocates a European solution. “Eulex police and KFOR, in consultation with the government in Pristina, are largely responsible for the conflict zone.”
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