Pristina investigates ANA appearance, calls it ‘harmful’
The Kosovo police force (KPS), Unmik and Kfor are investigating the footage showing members of the Albanian National Army – designated ‘terrorist group’ by the UN – as patrolling on one of the major roads in northern Kosovo.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, October 05, 2007
Pristina officials, meanwhile, called these appearances "harmful".
The spokesman of the Kosovo police force Veton Elshani said the KPS was investigating the footage shown on Wednesday night on public RTK television, but did not want to comment pending investigation.
"Unmik, Kfor and the KPS are the only institutions responsible for public safety in Kosovo (...) if these are organized armed groups, then they are illegal and will be dealt with accordingly", Alshani said.
Kfor spokesman Beatrant Bornneau said NATO troops would react furiously "in case they would locate the ANA militia."
"There's no place for any more violence in Kosovo", Bornneau was quoted as saying.
Members of the Albanian National Army, known also as AKSh, were seen in the territory periodically after the conflict ended in 1999. They have taken responsibility for several bombing incidents in Kosovo since then. The UN has banned the group and declared it "terrorist".
Through press statements ANA has also threatened with attacks and all out war in Macedonia demanding unification of Albanians from Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
Kosovo's prime minister Agim Ceku warned the group was going against the province's U.N. supervised institutions and was tainting the province's efforts of concluding the issue through internationally mediated talks.
"Kosovo has its own security structures," Agim Ceku said. "The appearance of such individuals does not send a good message on Kosovo's behalf."
Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said he is confident in Kfor's ability to maintain peace and protect the people of Kosovo, and urged citizens not to form "parallel structures" for taking such matters into their own hands.
