Belgrade-Kosovska Mitrovica Train Incident

Belgrade-Kosovska Mitrovica Train Incident happened on 14 January 2017 when Serbian provocative train[1][2][3][4] was prevented from entering Kosovo.

Belgrade-Kosovska Mitrovica Train Incident
Part of Kosovo-Serbia relations
Location Raška, Serbia
43°17′31″N 20°36′56″E / 43.291944°N 20.615556°E / 43.291944; 20.615556Coordinates: 43°17′31″N 20°36′56″E / 43.291944°N 20.615556°E / 43.291944; 20.615556
Date 14 January 2017 (2017-01-14)
Executed by Serbian Railways
Outcome Train returns to Belgrade

Background

Several days before the incident, Serbian media reported about specially decorated model of ŽS 711 series train,[5] claiming that it is supposed to reestablish connection between Belgrade and Mitrovica, after almost two decades. The train had a livery painted in colours of Serbian flag and writings "Kosovo is Serbia" written on 21 different languages, including Albanian. The train interior was decorated with frescoes from monasteries of Serbian Orthodox Church located on Kosovo. The author of the train livery, graphic designer Andrej Vasiljević stated that by designing such train, he wants to: "show the world Serbian cultural heritage using artistic expression, and make clear to everyone to whom does Kosovo belongs to".[6] He also said that his initiative was supported by Government of Serbia and Serbian national passenger railway company Srbija Voz.[7]

On 14 January, Kosovo's president Hashim Thaçi on published a Facebook post in which he stated that aforementioned train must be prevented from entering Kosovo, due to its "nationalist stickers", which are not in accordance with Kosovo's laws and constitution.[8] Thaçi later apparently ordered his Minister of Interior and Supreme Director of Police to prevent the train's arrival on Kosovo at all costs, after Kosovo government consulted with European Union which apparently responded that this "isn't their concern".[9]

Incident and the immediate aftermath

The train departed from Belgrade on 4 am, 14 January 2017, and was supposed to reach Mitrovica after more than 19 hours of travel.[10] It was nevertheless stopped in Raška, the final railway station before crossing Kosovo's national borders, due to allegations that the railway tracks up ahead are mined.[11] The train's passengers were afterwards switched to buses which transported them all the way to Mitrovica,[12] while train returned to Belgrade following day.[13]

Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić then summoned National Security Council Session, after which he accused Kosovo police's Close Protection Unit - ROSU of mining the tracks and planning to arrest train's engineer and all passengers.[14] He also said that it was his decision to stop the train in order to "prevent the wider conflict and show that we want peace.”[15] Kosovo police later apparently searched the tracks for explosives and found none.[16]

Reactions

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić stated that he will notify United States of America, European Union and China that Kosovo "plays war games"[17] He also said that it is his last appeal to Albanians on Kosovo not to attack Serbs, because Serbia will not allow these attacks.[18]

Then Serbian president Tomislav Nikolić said that he will send Serbian Army to Kosovo if Serbs will be killed. He also connected the incident with then leaving Barack Obama's administration in the White House.[19]

Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy, Aleksandar Vulin stated that: "If it wasn't for calm and very wise reaction of Aleksandar Vučić, we would have bloody fights on Northern Kosovo".[20]

Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa stated that "everything that happened" in regard to arrival of train from Belgrade to Kosovska Mitrovica was unnecessary situation caused by Serbia and it is part of their "mean intentions of Serbia to destabilize the situation on Kosovo".[21]

American ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie said that he is concerned about the train issue and "called for restraint of all parties".[22]

References

  1. ↑ Bytyci, Fatos. "Kosovo blocks entry of 'provocative' train from Serbia". U.S. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  2. ↑ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Serbia sends 'provocative' train to Kosovo | DW | 14.01.2017". DW.COM. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  3. ↑ "Kosovo angered by Serbia's 'provocative' train". euronews. 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  4. ↑ "Serbia launches provocative train service to Kosovo's Serbian north". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  5. ↑ "Za Srpsku novu godinu kreće posebno dekorisni voz na liniji Beograd - Kosovska Mitrovica". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  6. ↑ "Pogledajte kako izgleda unutrašnjost voza koji kreće za Kosovsku Mitrovicu". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  7. ↑ "Pogledajte kako izgleda unutrašnjost voza koji kreće za Kosovsku Mitrovicu". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  8. ↑ Sputnik. "Tači: Treba sprečiti da voz uđe na Kosovo". rs-lat.sputniknews.com (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  9. ↑ "Hashim Thaci naredio da se voz zaustavi po svaku cijenu". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). 2017-01-14. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  10. ↑ "Vlak s natpisom "Kosovo je Srbija" vratio se u Beograd". N1 HR (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  11. ↑ "Vučić tvrdi da su Albanci minirali prugu, tražeći sukob". N1 HR (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  12. ↑ "Vlak s natpisom "Kosovo je Srbija" vratio se u Beograd". N1 HR (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  13. ↑ "Vlak s natpisom "Kosovo je Srbija" vratio se u Beograd". N1 HR (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  14. ↑ "Vučić: Kosovski specijalci pokušali da miniraju prugu". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  15. ↑ Press, The Associated (2017). "Serbian Nationalist Train Halts at Border With Kosovo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  16. ↑ "Kosovo accused of 'provoking war' after stopping Serbian train at border". The Independent. 2017-01-15. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  17. ↑ "Vučić: Voz ostaje u Raškoj, obavestio sam EU". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  18. ↑ "Vučić: Kosovski specijalci pokušali da miniraju prugu". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  19. ↑ "Nikolić: Srbija će poslati vojsku na Kosovo ako budu ubijani Srbi". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  20. ↑ "DRAMA ZBOG VLAKA Nikolić i Vučić bijesni, spominju "nove krvave sukobe širokih razmjera"" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  21. ↑ "DRAMA ZBOG VLAKA Nikolić i Vučić bijesni, spominju "nove krvave sukobe širokih razmjera"" (in Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  22. ↑ "Voz se iz Raške vratio u Beograd". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
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