Accused, Serbia denies
“Around a quarter” of the water supply was assured on Saturday morning, announced the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, visiting the scene of the explosion, where he also announced several arrests.
Pristina accused Serbia of having “orchestrated” this “attack”, which Belgrade denied. The police “carried out searches and arrests”, and “collected testimonies and evidence, the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law”, specified Albin Kurti.
In a first statement after a Security Council in the night, the Kosovar government had already affirmed that “the first indications suggest” that this explosion was “orchestrated by the Serbian state, which has the capacity to carry out such a criminal attack and terrorist.
In this context, the Security Council “approved additional measures to strengthen security around essential installations and services, such as bridges, transformers, antennas, lakes, canals, etc.”, specified the government.
NATO presence
The surroundings of the canal have been protected since Friday evening by KFOR, the NATO force in Kosovo, the organization said in a press release.
As of Saturday morning, Serbia rejected any responsibility for the explosion and condemned “with the greatest firmness the attack”, denouncing an “unacceptable act of sabotage”.
“We call on all parties to resist provocations and to favor dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation,” Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stressed on the social network » Kosovar could be “potentially involved” in the attack.
The “destruction” of the canal was also denounced “with the greatest firmness” by the main political party of the Kosovo Serbs, the Serbian List, close to Belgrade. “We want to make it clear that this act goes absolutely against the interests of the Serbian people and we call on KFOR (the NATO force) and Eulex (the European police and justice mission) to carry out an investigation urgently,” the party said in a statement.
Calls for calm
Calls for calm have increased since Friday evening. Aivo Orav, the head of the European Union delegation in Kosovo, denounced on the social network “I have already offered EU assistance to the Kosovo authorities. The incident must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” he added.
“I totally agree,” added Miroslav Lajcak, the EU representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “Those who sabotaged critical infrastructure in Kosovo must be held accountable.”
Relations between Belgrade and Pristina have never been peaceful since the end of the war in 1999, and tensions regularly spike, particularly in northern Kosovo where a large Serb community lives.
Friday’s attack follows a recent rise in tension and a series of incidents in the north, including grenades thrown at a municipal building and a police station earlier this week. They come as legislative elections are due to be held on February 9 in Kosovo.
Related News :