Rutte: KFOR will stay in Kosovo despite this week’s developments

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assured that the Alliance’s commitment to ensuring peace and security in Kosovo will not change, regardless of developments that may follow the verdict against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

On September 16, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will announce the verdict for former President Hashim Thaçi, former Parliament Speakers Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, as well as former MP Rexhep Selimi. They face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while all four have pleaded not guilty to the ten counts of the indictment.

Rutte said that KFOR’s presence in Kosovo aims to enable NATO’s contribution to maintaining stability and peace. According to him, the Alliance’s peacekeeping mission has helped for more than two decades in building a safe and stable climate in the country.

“This holds true today as well, regardless of what news may come this week or in the coming period, but also regarding the long-term commitment to peace and security in Kosovo,” Rutte stated on September 14, during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

He was asked whether he is concerned about the possibility of violent unrest in Kosovo and the region as a result of the Hague verdict, regardless of its content.

The NATO chief underlined that the Alliance will continue to review the composition and positioning of KFOR troops, so that the mission responds appropriately to the security situation in Kosovo. He added that developments in the country have consequences for the wider region as well.

Rutte’s statement came hours after the U.S. Embassy in Pristina advised U.S. citizens to avoid movement near areas where, according to it, protests have been announced for September 16.

Through a notice, the Embassy announced that several organizations are preparing large demonstrations in downtown Pristina and in other major cities of Kosovo.

“These demonstrations may cause large gatherings of people, road closures, and traffic disruptions,” the Embassy stated, asking American citizens to limit their movements in those areas.

The verdict of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague will be announced four days after the protest held in Pristina, where thousands of people took part in the “March for Freedom.” Participants demanded a fair and impartial verdict.

The Office of the Specialist Prosecutor in The Hague accuses the four former KLA superiors of bearing criminal responsibility for crimes committed during the war in Kosovo and in northern Albania.

The indictment contains six counts of crimes against humanity and four counts of war crimes. The prosecution has sought sentences of 45 years in prison for each of the accused.

The four former KLA leaders were arrested in November 2020 and sent to the detention center of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Their trial began on April 3, 2023.

The verdict expected to be announced on September 16 is considered one of the most important decisions of the Specialist Chambers, established in 2015 to examine cases related to allegations of crimes committed by KLA members during and after the 1998-1999 war. / REL