Residents of Ranillug deny the claims of the Office in Serbia: There are no inter-ethnic incidents here

For almost everything that happens in Kosovo, there is an office in Serbia that has a reaction. Besides, the office for Kosovo in the government of Serbia often distorts the facts and circumstances of various events. Such a case happened recently where an incident that happened between Serbs was proclaimed as an inter-ethnic incident. It is the residents and the police who deny that this event that happened on June 29 has such a character behind it.

On the 29th of last month, the windshield of the car of Davor Petkovic, former vice-mayor of the municipality of Ranillug, now mayor of the village of Ropotovo, was broken. Such a thing had prompted an immediate reaction from the so-called Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia.

Through a communique, they tried to describe this attack as an inter-ethnic incident. Their claims are that the car was parked near the road that is frequented by Albanians.

This Office further claims that the attack is an attempt to intimidate Petkovic, his family and the Serbs in Kosovo. But the situation on the ground is different. It is even the commander of the Police station in this village, Nebojsha Popovic, who denies these claims.

“As for the inter-ethnic motive, I say with 100% conviction that it is not a case of inter-ethnic motives. This case was caused by Davor Petkovic himself, by placing the speed bump on the road”, declared Popovic for RTV Dukagjini.

The speed bump that the police commander is talking about is located in front of Pektovic’s house. The commander says that Petkovic himself told him that he knows who is behind the attack, but he does not say who it is. Further, Nebojsha Popovic, who heads this Police station in Ropotovo, says that on the day of the attack, in a bar near Petkovic’s house, the local Serbs celebrated the “Vidovdan” holiday until four in the morning.

“The speed bump is illegal, he has obstructed traffic in that place. According to him, he did it because of the dust that is being created there. According to me, there is a possibility that the attack on the car happened because the speed bump was not placed according to the rules and someone fell with the car and damaged his car”, he emphasizes.

Popovic adds that since 2011, when he took command, there has been no inter-ethnic incident. According to him, Petkovic also violated the regulation on obstacles, a document approved by the Municipality of Ranillug.

Davor Petkovic himself gave a more or less similar account of the attack to a Serbian medium. He said that he does not doubt that the attack is related to inter-ethnic problems. RTV Dukagjini stayed at Davor Petkovic’s house. According to his family members, he was not at home during the day. In the presence of his brother, he said over the phone that he is not in Kosovo.

Local residents also say that there have never been any inter-ethnic problems in this area.

“I don’t have any problems here where I live. I have neighbors who came here in 2003. We have a couple of shops, a gas station. This is a quiet place, we have no problems. No one provokes anyone, neither Albanians nor Serbs, declares Serbian farmer Dragisa Markovic.

His words are confirmed by the confession of Fisnik Berisha, a person who constantly uses this road.

“One of my friends had a flat tire. All the Albanians who were moving on this road saw him stopped on the road but did not stop to offer him help. A Serb stopped and asked what happened? (The friend) told him what happened, then that Serb lent him his spare tire and gave him the phone number to return the tire after he repairs his”, says Berisha.

Berisha says that there has never been any problem with the Serbs who live near this road. Dozens of Serbs from this area said the same thing, but not in front of the camera. They say they are interested in employment, better wages and as little politics as possible.