Eulex Says Has Not Replaced Kosovo Police in Northern Kosovo

EULEX Kosovo

After Serb police officers in northern Kosovo recently resigned, EULEX, the European Union rule of law mission in Kosovo, has dispatched new troops there, but not in the capacity of police, EULEX announced on Nov. 18.

According to the statement, the resignation of Serbs from northern Kosovo from the Kosovo Police has left a security vacuum that EULEX can only partially fill, and that it could not replace the Kosovo Police.

"With a view to carefully monitoring all events that could affect the security of Kosovo and the security of all communities in Kosovo, the Special Unit of the EULEX police and the Special Reserve Unit of the police have considerably increased their mobile patrols in northern Kosovo in coordination with the Kosovo Police and KFOR. From Nov. 16, officers of the Special Unit of the EULEX police and the Reserve Specialized Police Unit have been conducting pedestrian patrols in four northern Kosovo municipalities," the Pristina media quoted the EULEX statement as saying.

The reports added that EULEX was following the situation at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings through the presence of specialized police units. "Members of the Special Police Unit and the Reserve Specialized Police Unit are working in shifts and conducting patrols 24 hours seven days a week," it was reported.