Conflicts: NATO commander calls for de-escalation in Kosovo

The commander of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo is calling on the conflict parties in the region to make additional efforts. He calls on both sides to support the EU’s mediation efforts more constructively and proactively, says Italian Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia before a visit to Brussels by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani. One-sided measures that endanger the normalization of the situation must be avoided. Both sides must have the will to find a political solution.

KFOR soldiers were also attacked

The background to Ristuccia’s calls is the worrying developments in relations between Kosovo and Serbia in recent months. At the end of May, violent Serbs in northern Kosovo even attacked soldiers from the KFOR peacekeeping force during clashes. They used tear gas and stun grenades. 30 Italian and Hungarian soldiers and more than 50 Serbs were injured.

The conflict was triggered by the appointment of mayors of Albanian origin who had emerged from elections that the Serbs had boycotted at the behest of Belgrade. Kosovo, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, declared itself independent in 2008. Serbia still does not recognize this step and demands the return of its former province.

4,500 KFOR soldiers still deployed

KFOR invaded Kosovo in 1999 following a NATO intervention against Serbia. Based on a mandate from the UN Security Council, it is responsible for ensuring security in the country. Due to current developments, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced at the end of May that the force would be strengthened by 700 more soldiers. According to Ristuccia, it currently has around 4,500 soldiers from a total of 27 NATO countries and partner states. Germany recently took part in the KFOR mission with around 70 soldiers.