Serbian President Alexander Vucic on Saturday called on Kosovo Serbs to remain calm after the assassination of a senior leader and raised fears of renewed tension in the sensitive region.
During a visit to the northern town of Mitrovica, where moderate politician Oliver Ivanovic was assassinated, Vosic said: “Let’s settle things peacefully.”
Mitrovica, which is in turmoil, is divided between a Serb section in the north (13,000 people) and Albanians in the south (72,000 people).
“I would like to speak with (Kosovo President) Hashim Taji … to launch a single shot,” Vosic said after meeting with dozens of Kosovo Serbs, mostly local officials from the Serb party backed by his ruling coalition in Belgrade.
Ivanović was killed by gunfire from a car when he arrived at his party headquarters in northern Mitrovica. The identities of the perpetrators of the assassination were not disclosed.
Ivanovic’s murder has raised fears of a worsening situation in northern Kosovo, where most of the population is Serb minority and where the atmosphere is already charged.
The Albanian majority in Kosovo declared independence from Serbia ten years ago, but Belgrade has not recognized this independence and continues to regard the separatist region as a province.
Belgrade has no real authority in Kosovo since the end of the war (1998-1999) between Serbian forces and Albanian fighters, which killed 13,000 people.
