EU: Serbia has not made sufficient steps towards those responsible for attacks in northern Kosovo

The European Union will repeat the call for Serbia that “urgently” bring to justice those responsible for the violence in northern Kosovo during 2023 and co-operate fully about these cases.

This call is expected to be part of the enlargement conclusions, which talk about Serbia, which are expected to be approved later this month at the EU Council of General Affairs.

Free Europe Radio has had access to the draft of these conclusions, in which it is also urged Serbia to refrain from promotional rhetoric and unilateral and provocative steps.

The Council reiterates the strong condemnation of acts of violence by Kosovo Serb protesters towards citizens, troops of [NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo] KFOR, rule bodies and media on May 29th 2023, and violent attacks on the Kosovo Police on September 24th 2023 in northern Kosovo. There is no reason for violence”, says the draft conclusions that have been distributed to EU member states.

The Council reiterates calls for Serbia to co-operate fully and to take the necessary steps to bring the leaders of the 2023 attacks to justice. The Council underlines the need for full accountability and expresses deep regret that Serbia has taken insufficient steps in this direction”, says the document that has had access to Radio Free Europe.

In May 2023, in northern Kosovo, inhabited by Serb majority, local Serbs rejected the launch of the task of new Albanian leaders, who emerged from April elections that same year, who were boycotted by Serb parties and populations.

Protests culminated in Zvecan on May 29th, when protesters clashed with KFOR members, and as a result of clashes, dozens of people on both sides were injured.

Meanwhile, on September 24th 2023, a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police in Zvecan Banjsk, killing a Kosovo police officer. During the subsequent shootout, three Serb attackers were also killed.

Kosovo blames this attack on Serbia, which denies involvement. The responsibility for the attack has been taken over by Milan Radoic, former deputy chairman of the Serbian List, the largest Serb party in Kosovo to have Belgrade's support.

Kosovo has filed charges against him and dozens of other people and wants Serbia to extradite him to Kosovo.

December 2021. Serbia has opened no chapter in the European bloc membership process. But, a considerable number of member states have even this time failed to favour opening chapters with Serbia. As a rationale for failing to comply with the opening of new chapters with Serbia, European diplomats have cited lack and progress in the area of rule of law, in normalising reports with Kosovo, and refusing Belgrade to support EU sanctions on Russia because of the fight against Ukraine.