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Political scientist Ogyen Gogic said tonight that the crisis in northern Kosovo and Metohija has been going on for three years and that the Provisional Institutions in Pristina, led by Aljibin Kurti, are trying to make life more difficult for local Serbs through a series of unilateral measures.
Gogic told Tanjug that the first of these unilateral measures was the abolition of Serbian license plates, then the abolition of the dinar as a means of payment, the ban on the sale of Serbian goods, and now the opening of the country to Serbian goods. Gogic believes that despite this, the occupation of Serbian institutions will not be opened.
– As it stands, the bridge will not be opened, not because the Serbs object, but because KFOR has been keeping the bridge closed. So it is not blocked by the Serbs with the barricades, but by KFOR. KFOR continues its presence and, if necessary, they will increase its presence if they assess there is a threat. But that then led to these new aggressive moves because Kurti had to somehow make up for the defeat he experienced by not being able to open the bridge, Gogic said.
Regarding Kurti’s statement that the opening of the bridge is not directed against anyone, Gogic noted that if the Pristina authorities really believed what they said, they would never force measures that are opposed by the people representing the ethnic minorities.
– They have not paid attention to and ignored the voice of the Serbian community, which shows that this is not a well-intentioned measure. Gogic said that this measure is aimed at angering the people and exerting psychological pressure on them.
He believes that the opening of the bridge is more symbolic than practical, and the Serbs want to show that the opening of the bridge is a red line for them and Kurti is trying to cross it.
Gogic noted that the bridge does not function the same way it did 20 years ago.
– At that time, when the Serbs blocked the bridge, when it became a kind of buffer zone between the north and the south, it was unthinkable to arm the Albanians in the north. Today, the north is completely controlled by the Kosovo police, who move freely in the north and have their own special police bases. So, in this sense, the opening of the bridge will not significantly change the security situation in the north, which is bad enough, Gogic said.
Asked whether it was now realistic to expect the Pristina authorities to attack primary schools, secondary schools and hospitals in the north, Gogic noted that this was a realistic fear.
– It seems crazy. But I also think that banning the dinar and canceling payment transactions is a completely crazy thing that could not be passed, so it was passed. So in this sense, it does not surprise me – said Gogic.
He stressed that when it comes to other measures, such as the abolition of the dinar, the closure of the post office, the Postal Savings Bank, the provisional authorities, Pristina can always say that these are parallel structures and that Kosovo has some structures, such as banks, post offices, ETC.
– But speaking of hospitals and schools, they are the only institutions that provide these services in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and in the rural areas. If, for example, an attack were launched against these institutions, it would indeed be completely unthinkable, because there would be no alternative. Gogic warned that if some actions were then taken against hospitals and schools, then in fact people would remain in northern Kosovo, and without the providers of these services, they could really pick themselves up and go to the region.
He believes that Kosovo’s Serb community did a good job yesterday by calling on KFOR to deploy troops near these institutions and use its presence to distract the Kosovo police.
– This is a fine road, it must rise to a higher level. So it is not just a request from the community, but it is discussed and Belgrade initiates the issue. Ultimately, it is a matter for the Security Council, Gogic said.
He added that it was up to Belgrade to handle the internationalization of the issue, but noted that this could not be done overnight.
– This requires patience. Because when we had previous situations, like roadblocks, or when Serbia raised its combat readiness, it came back like a boomerang. So this is not the way to go. We now have to come here with a lot of patience and a lot of diplomacy, Gogic said.
(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)
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