The authorization of the KFOR commander to allow the KSF to go north on Tuesday to search for the body of a man in Lake Ujman in the Serb-majority north was a task Albin Kurti's party was committed to presenting throughout the day as a merit of the LVV. This did not go without a harsh reaction from some of the embassies of major Western countries in Kosovo, which openly highlighted the manipulation that the ruling party made of this issue.
Express newspaper
The Vetëvendosje Movement saw a good opportunity to politicize a search and rescue operation on Tuesday to find the body of a 33-year-old migrant in the artificial Ujamni Lake in Zubin Potok, in the north of the country.
"KSF in the north," wrote the ruling party's spokesman, Arlind Manjhuka, on Facebook at 9 a.m., sharing a video showing Kosovo Security Force vehicles near the lake.
After the first online comments about the politicization of this serious case, Albin Kurti's party, which on countless occasions during its mandate has tried to politically benefit the most from the situation in the north, the KSF and other security issues, reacted again at lunch.
"The tragedy is a disaster. The KSF teams are there precisely because of it. But the fact that for the first time the Kosovo Army goes to that part is a historical event and as such should be noted. It is another thing that the Police and the Army, by the nature of their mission, are mainly engaged in serious events, not in celebrations. If we follow the logic of the portals that call this "exploitation", then the pride we feel for every heroic act in our history would not make sense either," Manjhuka wrote in another post.
The LVV's commitment to impose and carry to its destination the perception that the KSF's engagement in this operation was the party's merit continued throughout the day.
Meanwhile, KFOR announced that Commander Enrico Barduani had authorized the deployment of KSF search and rescue teams to Lake Ujman.
"The authorization was granted in full accordance with the powers and authorities of the KFOR Commander, to maximize ongoing efforts to locate a 33-year-old man who reportedly entered the lake several days ago. The authorization is conditional on specific requirements set by KFOR, who will also provide security throughout the operation," the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo said in a statement.
KFOR mentioned that the KSF's engagement in cases of natural disasters is within its mandate.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also spoke about the "humanitarian role" of the KSF during a visit to Kosovo on March 11.
Asked whether NATO's approach regarding the KSF transition had changed, Rutte stated that NATO ensures that the KSF is effective "as a humanitarian force when there are natural or human disasters."
"The mandate is to ensure that the KSF is effective in its humanitarian role here in Kosovo. That is exactly NATO's mandate, to help the KSF be better as a humanitarian force when there are such natural or human disasters. This is the mandate, we work on this every day and constantly," he said in a joint conference with President Vjosa Osmani, after their meeting at the Presidency.
The Kosovo Force, which is in the process of transforming into a professional army – according to a 10-year plan expected to be completed in 2028 – and aims to join NATO, announced the discovery of the 33-year-old’s body. “The Kosovo Force finds the body of the missing person,” the announcement read.
Although former Kosovo Security Force colonels said it was not the first time the KSF had conducted operations in the north, the LVV insisted that this had never happened before.
Former LVV MP Enver Dugolli said on Tuesday on Frontal on T7 that in the past the KSF had gone to the north "differently".
"In the past, it's true that he participated in two operations, I think, but it was a little different. He wasn't allowed to participate in uniform, with official equipment and emblems, and he wasn't even allowed to participate in official vehicles."
LVV MP Saranda Bogujevci described last night the presence of the KSF in the north as an achievement of the party.
"We managed to send the KSF to that part of the country. And that's something to be commended," she said on Kanal10.
International reaction: Don't manipulate
The German Embassy in Kosovo expressed deep concern over LVV's efforts to politicize the engagement of KSF search and rescue teams in Lake Ujman.
"The tragic loss of a young man's life should be a moment of collective grief and not an opportunity to score political points," the German Embassy said in a strong response.
This embassy said that statements by political actors that this KSF mission was "the first in northern Kosovo" only misinterpret the purpose of the engagement.
"Equally worrying are the allegations of photo manipulation – specifically, the removal of visible elements of KFOR escort – to promote a misleading narrative. Such actions risk undermining public trust and distracting attention from the humanitarian focus of the mission," the response said, among other things. This part referred to the publication of two photos on social media, where in one, posted by LVV, KSF and KFOR vehicles are seen, while in the other, only KSF vehicles are seen.
The French Ambassador to Kosovo also reacted, citing the disinformation and manipulation of the LVV, which he said is "becoming systematic."
"Since its creation, KFOR has played and continues to play an irreplaceable role in guaranteeing security for all. It deserves the respect and gratitude of all actors in the region. France will continue to fully support it, especially in a context where disinformation and manipulation of information are becoming systematic," Olivier Guerot wrote last night in X.
The United Kingdom Embassy in Kosovo today praised the "positive coordination" between the KFOR mission and the KSF in yesterday's search and rescue operation.
An embassy statement emphasized that the coordination came "following authorization from the KFOR Commander for the KSF to deploy Search and Rescue teams for the specific purpose of assisting in the tragic case."
The operation demonstrated the KSF's excellent search and rescue capabilities, the British embassy said, noting that cooperation with KFOR was in line with previous agreements.
"The United Kingdom fully supports KFOR's mission to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all citizens and communities in Kosovo. Close cooperation between KFOR, the KSF, the Kosovo Police and EULEX is essential to the success of this mission," the response states.
As in the case yesterday, the deployment of KFOR troops in the north of the country is only possible with prior authorization from KFOR, based on a 2013 commitment that then-Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi had given to then-NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen. And this remains in force today.
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