Rutte: KFOR Is There, Whatever May Happen This Week in Kosovo

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the Alliance’s commitment to preserving peace and security in Kosovo will remain unchanged, regardless of possible developments surrounding the verdict against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will announce on September 16 the verdict against former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi, former parliament speakers Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi, in the case on war crimes and crimes against humanity. All four have pleaded not guilty to the ten counts of the indictment.

According to Rutte, KFOR is there, in Kosovo, to ensure NATO contributes to stability and peace, while the Alliance’s peacekeeping mission, he said, has for more than two decades contributed to creating a safe and stable environment in Kosovo. “This applies today as well, whatever news may come this week or in the period ahead, and also as regards the long-term commitment to peace and security in Kosovo,” Rutte said at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on September 14, when asked whether he is concerned about possible violent unrest in Kosovo and the region as a result of the verdict, whatever it may be.

The NATO chief said the Western military alliance will continue to assess the composition and deployment of KFOR troops, to ensure the mission adapts adequately to the security situation in Kosovo. He also stressed that developments in Kosovo affect the wider region.

The NATO chief’s remarks came hours after the U.S. Embassy in Pristina urged American citizens to avoid moving near locations where, as it said, protests have been announced for September 16. The Embassy said several organizations are planning large demonstrations on September 16 in downtown Pristina and other major Kosovo cities. “These demonstrations could cause large gatherings of people, road closures and traffic disruptions,” the Embassy said, instructing U.S. citizens to limit movement in these areas.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police, as the first security responder, said it has also met with international partners — KFOR, EULEX, the U.S. Embassy, the European Union Office and the OSCE — where a plan and the Police’s commitments regarding developments linked to September 16 were presented. “The Kosovo Police, in accordance with its official duty and legislation in force, will provide security for all citizens without distinction, and will engage police units so that all activities and possible developments proceed calmly and without incident,” the Police said.

According to the institution, depending on activities and possible developments, there may be temporary restrictions or interruptions of traffic on roads affected by the activities, “therefore the Kosovo Police has also planned the engagement of traffic patrol police units, should traffic need to be rerouted to alternative roads,” calling on citizens to contribute so everything proceeds peacefully.

The announcement of the verdict in The Hague will come just four days after thousands of people took part in Pristina in the “March for Freedom,” where participants called for the verdict to be fair and impartial.

The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague alleges the four former KLA superiors bear criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Kosovo and in northern Albania during the war period. The indictment against them includes six counts of crimes against humanity and four of war crimes, and the Prosecution has sought 45 years of imprisonment for each defendant.

All four former KLA leaders were arrested in November 2020 and transferred to the Specialist Chambers detention facility in The Hague. The trial began on April 3, 2023. The September 16 verdict is expected to be one of the most important decisions of the Specialist Chambers, established in 2015 to try cases related to allegations of crimes committed by KLA members during and after the 1998–1999 war.

Source: Radio Free Europe