Those who felt catapulted back to the 90’s by last Friday’s Spice Girls concert in Croke Park should brace themselves for another nostalgic trip to the 20th Century’s last decade as the possibility of war in the Balkans looms large.
Serbia has placed its military on its highest state of combat readiness after heavily armed Kosovan police entered Serbian populated towns in the North of Kosovo and nearly two dozen arrests over alleged corruption on Tuesday.
Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj confirmed the police action tweeting that an “anti-smuggling and organised crime operation” was under way in northern Kosovo.
The tiny Muslim majority state declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following the gruesome ethno-religious conflict between the two regions from 1998-99 that was ended after NATO intervention.
Serbia, however, does recognise Kosovo’s independence and is backed in its stance by Russia. To add to the tensions over 90% of those living in Northern Kosovo’s border region are Serbs who refuse to recognise or participate in the Kosovan state whose majority is ethnically Albanian.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovo police arrested 23 people, including Serbs, Bosnians and a Russian. He claims the operation was designed to intimidate the Serbian population in the region into submission.
President Vucic has said the country’s military stands ready to protect their countrymen and women in Kosovo should the situation escalate.
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