Irish Defense Forces monitor deteriorating security situation in Kosovo

The security situation in Kosovo is getting worse, and this is of concern to the Armed Forces. Shots have been fired not far from peacekeepers in the northern part of the Balkan state. The UN-mandated, NATO-led KFOR mission has 13 members of the Irish Armed Forces, but none of them are conducting active patrols.

An investigation is underway following a shooting that occurred in Rožištji, a town in northern Kosovo near a KFOR patrol. Local Serbs have been setting up road blocks for two weeks. About half of the ethnic Serbs live in northern Kosovo and have close ties to Serbia. None of the peacekeepers, who were representing Latvia, were injured in the shooting.

Serbia placed its military troops on full alert along the border, despite KFOR's calls for calm. Serbian officials have said Kosovo Serbs are being harassed by the majority Albanian population. They set up roadblocks earlier this month after a former Serb policeman was detained on assault charges.

Leonids Kalnins, Latvia's defense chief, said the aim of the men who opened fire on Latvian troops was to limit the peacekeepers' activities. KFOR was established in 1999 after military action by Serbia caused a human catastrophe in Kosovo. According to the UN, some 250,000 citizens were displaced from their homes.

Ireland was one of the countries that contributed to the mission in 1999, and its presence increased in subsequent years. For some time, Ireland had its own responsible area requiring active patrols. Asked about the safety of Irish personnel after the shooting, the Armed Forces said, "We are aware of the current situation in Kosovo and continue to monitor it. KFOR has increased its presence and patrols in northern Kosovo in recent weeks and continues to maintain its presence through patrols and cooperation. The referenced incident is under investigation and no KFOR personnel were injured." The statement said KFOR has 13 Irish members of the Armed Forces as part of the mission, which has about 3,700 personnel. "All of these Irish are based at Camp Film City, KFOR's headquarters in Pristina, and hold staff positions," the statement said. The statement also said there is no longer an Irish infantry company serving with KFOR. There is also no Irish part of the international military police and no Irish national support element in the capital of neighboring North Macedonia. "Consequently, we no longer have an Irish Responsible Area within Kosovo and we do not conduct patrols in this area," the statement said.