A blast on a important canal supplying Kosovo’s water and energy has intensified tensions with Serbia, fueling a heated trade between the 2 Balkan nations.
The explosion late Friday punched a gap in a canal offering water to tons of of 1000’s of individuals and the cooling methods at two coal-fired energy crops that generate most of Kosovo’s electrical energy.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti instantly pointed the finger at archrival Serbia, calling the incident a “terrorist attack.”
He went on to say that Belgrade was copying the Russian “playbook” in Ukraine, attempting to knock out energy and heating in Kosovo throughout the frigid winter months.
“This is the reason why we raise the alarm over Russia’s alliance with Serbia,” mentioned Kurti, as he highlighted the alleged seizure of Russian and Serbian army insignia throughout follow-up raids.
Serbia has been fast to hit again, with officers denying duty and saying the incident can be used as a pretext by the Pristina authorities to crack down on Serbs dwelling in Kosovo.
Serbia and Kosovo, which has a big ethnic Albanian majority, have been at loggerheads for the reason that finish of a struggle within the late Nineteen Nineties between Belgrade’s forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in what was then a province of Serbia.
Serbia has by no means acknowledged Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.
But tensions have been notably excessive during the last yr, centered on the destiny of Kosovo’s Serbian minority.
‘Sophisticated’ sabotage
“If an investigation concludes Serbia’s involvement, Kosovo may interpret it as an act of war, escalating tensions dramatically,” Shpetim Gashi, an impartial analyst based mostly in Pristina, instructed Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Others have mentioned that the character of the blast in Kosovo’s restive north – dwelling to a lot of its ethnic Serbs – factors to a stage of sophistication that may rule out novice sabotage.
“Considering how much police presence and control there has been in the north, this suggests some level of sophisticated organization,” mentioned political analyst Agon Maliqi.
“The targeting of critical infrastructure suggests awareness of large-scale systemic impact,” he added.
Observers have urged warning till an investigation supplies definitive proof figuring out a perpetrator.
Jeffrey Hovenier, the U.S. ambassador to Kosovo, mentioned Monday that Washington was “not in a position to say who is behind the attack.”
“It’s early on and these things require careful investigation,” he added.
The assault on the canal comes simply months forward of parliamentary elections in Kosovo, with Kurti hoping his hardline insurance policies focusing on Serbia will safe him one other time period.
Source: www.dailysabah.com