Head of UN Mission in Kosovo warns of rising tensions — Anadolu Agency
Peter Due, head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, warned the UN Security Council about rising tensions in Kosovo and the region over the past six months. At the same time, he said that the political deadlock in the country appears to have been overcome, Anadolu Agency reports.
Elections and formation of institutions
Due presented the UN secretary-general's report, noting that the reporting period ended on September 15, but he also briefed Council members on subsequent developments. He recalled that Kosovo held its third election in 16 months on June 7. According to him, the vote was peaceful and inclusive, but political uncertainty and harsh rhetoric intensified afterward.
On October 6, Justina Shiroka-Pula was elected president of Kosovo. Due welcomed her election, calling her the third woman to hold the post. He also noted that the formation of state institutions is encouraging after a prolonged political confrontation.
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Call for accountability and dialogue
The head of UNMIK stressed that accountability for attacks is necessary to strengthen trust. He reiterated the call for full cooperation by the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina to bring to justice those involved in the 2023 attack in Banjska and the 2024 attack on the Ibar-Lepenac water canal.
Due also said that both sides need a sincere commitment to the EU-mediated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Kosovo's Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca called the country one of the most stable democracies in Southeastern Europe. He also rejected claims set out in the reports, saying that the incidents described in them contain disinformation and wrongly interpret the application of legal norms or breaches of public order as ethnically motivated acts or rights violations. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stressed the importance of UNMIK taking into account people's experiences, which are not always fully reflected in international reports.
