KFOR has rejected claims in an International Crisis Group report that the NATO peacekeeping mission negotiated the withdrawal of part of a group of armed Serbian attackers in Banjska on September 24 last year, where Sgt. Kosovo Police, Afrim Bunjaku.
Through a statement, KFOR says that this claim is incorrect.
The International Crisis Group recently published a report entitled “North Kosovo: Asserting Sovereignty Amidst Divided Loyalties”. In its account of the violence that took place in Banjska in September 2023, the report states that: “Fearing a bloodbath, KFOR negotiated the withdrawal of the group [Serb fighters] into the surrounding forests, from which they melted.” This is incorrect. At no time was KFOR involved in the alleged negotiations”, the statement says.
KFOR says it coordinated with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law mission (EULEX) to restore security in the area, after being called to reinforce its presence there.
The violence that occurred in Banjska came after an attack against KFOR peacekeepers in May 2023, which resulted in the wounding of 93 KFOR personnel, some of whom suffered serious injuries,” the statement said. .
KFOR recalls NATO’s request to bring the perpetrators of that attack to justice.
“NATO has always held the position that the facts must be established and the perpetrators must face justice. Following the violence, NATO has deployed around 1,000 additional peacekeepers and heavier armor to Kosovo. This was the biggest reinforcement of our contingent in Kosovo in a decade; and this shows that NATO is ready to maintain peace”, the statement says.
Finally, KFOR reiterates, as usual, that it continues to implement its mandate – based on the 1999 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 – to ensure a safe environment for all people living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at any time and in an impartial manner.
The non-governmental organization “International Crisis Group”, whose mission is to prevent conflicts in the world, was cited on Saturday in the defense and security committee of the NATO General Assembly regarding a report on the attack in Banjska. It was said there that the report mentioned that KFOR negotiated the withdrawal of Serbian paramilitaries from Banjska.