Serbs in Kosovo demand reaction from UN chief

The presidents of four Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo sent a letter on Thursday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. In the letter, they are asking him to prevent any unilateral action by the Kosovo Albanian authorities in Pristina and to ensure the safety of Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Serbs in Kosovo demand reaction from UN chief The local leaders stated that they had information that KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo police (KPS) would "implement an action that would threaten to compromise the security, stability and the lives of citizens, and perhaps also of members of KFOR and EULEX," and that this was why they are calling for immediate action. "We ask you to perform the legal mandate that is entrusted to you and inform the UN Security Council and General Assembly and to prevent the operation that could have catastrophic consequences," reads the letter signed by the presidents of the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica. In the letter, which was also sent to representatives of UNMIK, EULEX, OSCE, KFOR and domestic and its international missions, they also claim that KFOR Commander Erhard Buehler was behaving unprofessionally and acting under instructions from the U.S. Ambassador to Pristina Christopher Dell. The presidents of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo say that illegal Pristina provisional institutions, the International Civilian Office and the ambassadors of the Quint (United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy) in Pristina are abusing the mandate of KFOR and EULEX and harassing the civilian population in northern Kosovo Metohija. The presidents point out that they were legally elected by the citizens who refused to participate in elections organized illegally by the provisional institutions in Pristina, and who gave them the mandate to act in accordance with the Constitution of Serbia. They claim that they are under strong pressure and that members of KFOR and EULEX are abusing them and criminalizing the Serb population in order to justify illegal actions. Serbs form a majority in the north of Kosovo and refuse the authority of the government in Pristina, as reject the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in February 2008. Serbs at barricades in the north (FoNet, file)

Serbs in Kosovo demand reaction from UN chief

The local leaders stated that they had information that KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo police (KPS) would "implement an action that would threaten to compromise the security, stability and the lives of citizens, and perhaps also of members of KFOR and EULEX," and that this was why they are calling for immediate action.

"We ask you to perform the legal mandate that is entrusted to you and inform the UN Security Council and General Assembly and to prevent the operation that could have catastrophic consequences," reads the letter signed by the presidents of the municipalities of Zvečan, Leposavić, Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica.

In the letter, which was also sent to representatives of UNMIK, EULEX, OSCE, KFOR and domestic and its international missions, they also claim that KFOR Commander Erhard Buehler was behaving unprofessionally and acting under instructions from the U.S. Ambassador to Priština Christopher Dell.

The presidents of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo say that illegal Priština provisional institutions, the International Civilian Office and the ambassadors of the Quint (United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy) in Priština are abusing the mandate of KFOR and EULEX and harassing the civilian population in northern Kosovo Metohija.

The presidents point out that they were legally elected by the citizens who refused to participate in elections organized illegally by the provisional institutions in Priština, and who gave them the mandate to act in accordance with the Constitution of Serbia.

They claim that they are under strong pressure and that members of KFOR and EULEX are abusing them and criminalizing the Serb population in order to justify illegal actions.

Serbs form a majority in the north of Kosovo and refuse the authority of the government in Priština, as reject the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in February 2008.