The head of NATO for the attack in Ibër-Lepenc: Those responsible should be brought to justice

2024-12-16 18:45:57, Kosova & Bota CNA

The head of NATO for the attack in Ibër-Lepenc: Those responsible should be

The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has called on Monday that those responsible for the attack against the Ibër-Lepenci water channel in the north of Kosovo last month, be brought to justice.

"The attack on the water channel in the north of Kosovo, on November 29, underlines how fragile stability is in the Western Balkans," said Rutte during a press conference with the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Millojko Spajic, in Brussels.

The Nov. 29 explosion at Zubin Potok's Varraghe water canal - which supplies water to several of the country's cities and thermal power plants - was caused by about 20 kilograms of explosives, according to Kosovo authorities, who described it as the heaviest in critical infrastructure. of the country since the war of 1998/99.

The Kosovar authorities are investigating the explosion, for which they accuse Serbia.

Serbia has denied the accusations and said that it is also investigating this attack.

Rutte said that "it is now essential to get the facts out" about the attack and the possible perpetrators.

He emphasized that he wants to thank the KFOR commander for the "quick deployment" of troops to protect Kosovo's key infrastructure.

"We remain committed to ensuring that KFOR fulfills its UN mandate," Rutte emphasized.

KFOR - which has around 4,700 soldiers - is the third responsible for Kosovo's security, after the Kosovo Police and the European Union's rule of law mission, EULEX.

Last week, the American ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, said that there is still no evidence of who may have carried out the attack on the Ibër-Lepenci water channel, but added that "we think that evidence will be found".

Hovenier reiterated his previous position that the US Government "is not in a position to say who is responsible".

Legal and security experts say that the exact determination of responsibility for the attack on the Ibër-Lepenci channel is critical, adding that international involvement, especially of the European Union and the United States, would increase the credibility of the investigations, but would also help in reducing tensions.

Mark Ellis, executive director of the London-based International Bar Association, told Radio Free Europe that he supports the idea of ??such an investigation, so that "the situation does not escalate into something much more serious."

"The best way to get out of this impasse is to make an independent, factual and objective assessment of what happened," Ellis told Expose.

The Ibër-Lepenc Canal supplies water from Lake Ujman to the entire north of Kosovo, the regions of Mitrovica, Pristina and its surroundings, as well as the Kosovo Energy Corporation for cooling its thermal power plants.

While KEK's supply of water for cooling its thermal power plants was not affected, the explosion caused temporary reductions in water in some parts of the country./ REL