KFOR Commander Angelo Mikela Ristuća said in an interview for portal KoSSev that the presence of KFOR troops in the Banjska area prevented the events from escalating into an even more serious situation.
He points out that he was in regular contact with all relevant colleagues, including EULEX, representatives of Kosovo institutions and security organizations, as well as with the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.
"I want to be clear about the fact that KFOR's mandate is clear and does not include law enforcement activities." This remains the exclusive prerogative of the Kosovo Police. With whom? EULEX and KFOR, through developed cooperation, which act as the first, second, or third authority in the security chain," said the outgoing commander of KFOR, Anđelo Mikele Ristuća.
He assessed the situation as unstable and could easily escalate, and he assessed the lack of trust between the parties as the key cause of the incidents. In the North, an "incendiary spark" was created after the Serbs left the institutions, and his mandate was spent all the time in managing the crisis.
"In this context, only a constructive approach by all parties that refrain from incendiary and counterproductive rhetoric can help create the necessary conditions for permanent security in Kosovo and in the region, to the benefit of all parties and future generations." Be assured that KFOR will continue to play its part in ensuring peace and security in Kosovo and the wider region," he stressed.
According to KoSSev, Ristuća stated that KFOR faced many difficulties - the issue of license plates, the exit of Serbs from institutions, barricades, the organization of municipal elections, attacks on KFOR soldiers in May, the arrest of Kosovo policemen, and the conflict in Banjska 24 in September.
However, the commander assesses that the fact that there were no more serious consequences in Banjska does not mean that the situation will not escalate further in the future, and in order to prevent the conflict and ensure a safe future for future generations in Kosovo and in the region, he says that a "constructive approach of all parties that refrain from incendiary rhetoric".
Therefore, he called on Belgrade and Pristina to return to the dialogue through the EU, because a "political solution" is first necessary for the situation in Kosovo.
Until then, he announced the arrival of additional troops whose deployment was allowed by NATO.
He also says that KFOR is not planning to build a new base, that they have everything they need, that they are organized and have enough people and equipment.
Ristuća will be replaced at the head of KFOR by the Turkish general Ozkan Ulutaš, and the handover of duties is scheduled for October 10.
AE/FoNet/KoSSev
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