The situation in the north of the country is calm, but it continues to be fragile due to the existence of potential factors that can cause tensions, says the head of the EULEX mission in Kosovo, Giovanni Pietro Barbano.

While talking about the security situation in the north of the country, compared to the period before the aggression in Banjska and the situation today, Barbano emphasizes that the commitments of the Kosovo government in the dialogue have prevented incidents.

“Today the situation is definitely calm, but still fragile. It is encouraging that most of these factors are being discussed with the local authorities, either in the context of the developments in Banjska. However, there are still some issues that remain under our observation and that require a solution, especially with EULEX, to avoid unilateral actions that may violate the rights of individuals”, says Barbano for KosovaPress.

He attributes the credit to the recent commitments of the Government of Kosovo within the dialogue on the situation in the north, which he underlines have proved useful in preventing incidents.

“I must say that the recent developments and the government’s commitment within the dialogue, especially in the north, have been very useful and effective in preventing of incidents. However, from time to time there are still actions that are not sufficiently coordinated at the local level and that continue to attract our attention and concern.

Furthermore, he says that the police in the north are trying to gain the trust of the population through various initiatives and activities carried out through NGOs, civil society and the community, but he stated that there are always individuals or groups that can undermine peace and security.

Barbano expresses his concern with the discovery of continuous discovery of weapons, not only in the north but throughout the territory of Kosovo, which, according to him, shows that these weapons are relatively easy to obtain.

“An aspect that continues to worry us is the continuous discovery of weapons, not only in the north but throughout Kosovo. This shows that weapons and offensive tools continue to be available and relatively easy to obtain. This therefore requires great attention from both the police and the prosecution, as well as the launch of campaigns for the voluntary surrender of weapons in order to demilitarize these areas”, he says in his last interview as head of the EULEX Mission.

Source: prizrenpost