Ethnic Albanians threaten with armed conflict over memorial

PRESEVO Former members of the ethnic Albanian UCPMB (OVPMB) have threatened PM Ivica Dacic with "armed conflict" if a memorial in Presevo is torn down. The now disbanded terrorist group ("Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja") was an offshoot of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, UCK), that was active in southern Serbia in the early 2000s. Ethnic Albanians threaten with armed conflict over memorial The memorial in question was put up for its members killed in clashes with government forces. Now, the group's former members took to the internet and posted on the preshevajone.com website that they will "very easily again put on boots and uniforms and take up arms". "We, the former members and commanders of the UCPMB, gave priority to dialogue and efforts to solve problems through talks because of European integration processes, in the hope that Serbia's repression toward ethnic Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja would end," Lulizim Ibisi was quoted as saying, and adding: "But due to the constant provocations of the Gendarmerie and threatening statements of Dacic it turns out that Belgrade is not interested in dialogue and stability in the region." Sefket Hasani, aka Poet, meanwhile threatened Dacic that if he "touched the UCPMB monument in Presevo", he would "meet with 500 prepared soldiers from the West". Hasani also "called on Serbia to give priority to dialogue so that we meet at the negotiating table today instead of in the woods tomorrow". On Tuesday, the Serbian police trade union called on PM Dacic to act on his previous statements and remove the controversial memorial. A scene from southern Serbia (Beta, file) B92 Beta

Ethnic Albanians threaten with armed conflict over memorial

The memorial in question was put up for its members killed in clashes with government forces.

Now, the group's former members took to the internet and posted on the preshevajone.com website that they will "very easily again put on boots and uniforms and take up arms".

"We, the former members and commanders of the UCPMB, gave priority to dialogue and efforts to solve problems through talks because of European integration processes, in the hope that Serbia's repression toward ethnic Albanians in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa would end," Lulizim Ibisi was quoted as saying, and adding:

"But due to the constant provocations of the Gendarmerie and threatening statements of Dačić it turns out that Belgrade is not interested in dialogue and stability in the region."

Sefket Hasani, aka Poet, meanwhile threatened Dačić that if he "touched the UCPMB monument in Preševo", he would "meet with 500 prepared soldiers from the West".

Hasani also "called on Serbia to give priority to dialogue so that we meet at the negotiating table today instead of in the woods tomorrow".

On Tuesday, the Serbian police trade union called on PM Dačić to act on his previous statements and remove the controversial memorial.