How Lies and Untruths Fuel the Serbia-Kosovo Conflict

For days, things have been bubbling up again between Serbia and Kosovo: in the ethnically diverse communities, nationalists from both sides have once again shown their power, blocked roads and feuded locally. That people of all ethnicities and religions are affected by this is well known and skillfully ignored by the ringleaders.

On Wednesday morning you might think that the conflict could also spread to tourists: “Blick” reported in large letters that the threats would now also be directed against those returning from Kosovo. The headline was perfect because it showed the large Kosovan community in Switzerland: the clash of arms is getting serious now!

Blick came across the story through a blog post on an Albanian diaspora portal in Bern. The original text spoke of “Serb gangs” and their roadblocks, which “trapped thousands of migrants in Serbia”. They would be threatened, insulted and mistreated by “Serbian mercenaries and gangs – including drunks”. Even worse: “They keep knives and guns in front of children.” Emigrants from Switzerland therefore sought help in Bern or at the Swiss embassy in Belgrade.

Although the tabloid classified the source (“Clearly expresses Prishtina’s point of view, but is not considered a source of false reporting”), no fact-checking was done.

This would have shown that while these blockades were in place, they led to hours of traffic jams and expected skirmishes between blockades and blockades. However, it is very unlikely that there were concrete threats or even assault: there was no indication of this on social media, nor were there official confirmations from the authorities.

For example, at Watson’s request, the Foreign Ministry in Bern said: “The FDFA, including our embassies in Belgrade and Pristina, has not yet received any questions from Swiss citizens who are trapped at the border between Kosovo and Serbia or who are in any of the both countries are in trouble.”

No reports of alleged attacks against Swiss

In Bern, current developments in northern Kosovo and the ongoing tensions are actively observed and the parties to the conflict are regularly called upon to de-escalate, the spokeswoman said. The FDFA even warns of a “tense security situation” that could lead to “isolated and targeted unrest or acts of violence”. Contrary to what was reported in the blog post, there was no concrete evidence that such attacks were carried out against Swiss citizens.

Nevertheless, the report caused a sensation, especially at a time when some Kosovar families from Switzerland were already on their way home or are already there. Above all, it gave another reason to highlight ethnic tensions more than they deserve.

Those responsible on the spot know that too. Milazim Gashi, a former minister, spoke of only “300 Serb civilians” on the barricades – only to accuse them of being Serb mercenaries who set up the barricades for “50 euros a day”. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also went to the media yesterday to downplay the barricades in a subordinate clause.

In the evening, the Serbian president then announced that the roadblocks in northern Kosovo would be lifted, which could contribute to de-escalation:

Kosovo court whistles Kurti back

The institutions, too, seem to operate to some extent according to the rule of law: a Kosovar court decided on Wednesday to show a humane gesture to the person who caused the current unrest and to instead place arrested Serb and police officer Dejan Pantić under house arrest and imprison on health grounds. Pantić is accused of assaulting a Kosovan colleague during a protest. He is under investigation in connection with “terrorism”.

The left-wing nationalist Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, was critical of this decision and his party even spoke of “betrayal against the country” in a statement. The reprimand came promptly: Kurti was asked by the Judicial Council to ‘respect without comment’ the separation of powers and court decisions.

“Informer” presents itself again as a pro-Vučić hate magazine

Meanwhile, there is not only false news on the Kosovo side. The Serbian “Informer” has made a series of inflammatory headlines in recent days. A few days ago it said, “We will not allow Kurti to kill our children.” Yesterday, Wednesday, it was doubled: “They want to expel all Serbs from Kosovo.”

The sexist, racist and anti-Albanian attitude of the ‘informer’ has long been known. Even more famous, however, is the closeness of the editorial team to Vučić and his so-called “Progress Party”. What makes the newspaper so successful: If you believe the publisher’s information, the “Informer” is the most successful tabloid in Serbia with a circulation of more than 100,000.

It’s unclear how many readers believe the battle’s rhetoric. However, images from the past few days have shown that thousands of people can be mobilized with this gesture of war. Shortly before Catholic Christmas, fans in the Serbian-dominated Kosovo village of Rudare Vučić protested with an oversized Serbian tricolor.

However, only about 500 people live in the village itself.