"Riots could break out in Kosovo," warns analyst

"Riots could break out in Kosovo," warns analyst

BELGRADE -- The latest spate of incidents in Kosovo and Metohija "could turn into serious rioting," analyst Dusan Janjic of the Forum for Ethnic Relations has said.

According to him, "social, political, and even inter-ethnic turbulence is ahead this year."

Janjic described "this Albanian-Serb dispute" as "one of the results of very bad dynamics when it comes to security in northern Kosovo and Metohija, and in that whole province."

Speaking for the Belgrade-based TV Pink broadcaster this analyst described the police in Kosovo as "not functioning as a modern force," adding it was "necessary to wait for the results of the investigation."

As the same time, Janjic advised "a cooling off and at the same time establishing a calm connection with the security structures in northern Kosovo and Metohija."

He is in favor of Belgrade "initiating toward NATO" an increase in "measures of presence" in the Ground Safety Zone, "in order to prevent a spread of the conflict."

Commenting on Albanian PM Edi Rama's recent statement about his country unifying with Kosovo "within the EU or the classical way," Janjic said the politician was "mixing social demagoguery and a play on nationalism."

"There's almost no boundary between that and chauvinism," Janjic warned, and added that "Belgrade has no reason to worry because of that statement."

"This game will turn against Rama himself," the analyst concluded.