Borrell says EU will not tolerate attacks on EULEX mission in Kosovo

The EU will not tolerate attacks on their EULEX mission in Kosovo, the barricades must be removed immediately, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said on Twitter.

EULEX is a European Union special mission of 2,000 civilians and law enforcement officials based in Kosovo since 2008.

“The EU will not tolerate attacks on EULEX in Kosovo or violent, criminal acts in the north. The barricades must be removed by the Kosovo Serbs immediately,” he wrote.

According to him, EULEX will continue to coordinate activities with the Kosovo authorities and the NATO KFOR mission. All participants must avoid escalation, stressed the head of EU diplomacy.

On December 10, Kosovo Serbs began erecting barricades after Dejan Pantic, a former Kosovo Interior Ministry official, was detained in Pristina. Later, the police blocked the entrance to the region through the Yarine checkpoint for cars and pedestrians from the central regions of Serbia. Later that same day in northern Kosovo happened explosions and shooting, the Evening News newspaper reported.

How informed Portal Kosovo Online, citing a statement by EULEX, during the night in Rudar in northern Kosovo, a “bomb was thrown” at their reconnaissance patrol, but no one from the unit was injured.

“This attack, as well as attacks on Kosovo police officers, is unacceptable. We strongly condemn the violent acts committed by armed individuals in northern Kosovo, including against the international community,” EULEX said.

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier also said on Twitter that the U.S. “strongly condemns” the attacks on EULEX and the Kosovo police and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.