What should happen to the 700-member Civil Protection in northern Kosovo? Experts debated the question on a special edition of “Jeta ne Kosove”, BIRN Kosovo’s flagship current affairs programme.

What should happen to the 700-member Civil Protection in northern Kosovo? Experts debated the question on a special edition of “Jeta ne Kosove”, BIRN Kosovo’s flagship current affairs programme.

The Civil Protection formation, established in 2006 while Vojislav Kostunica was Prime Minister of Serbia, has former Serbian Army members in its ranks and has more members than Kosovo has firefighters. Hosted by Faik Ispahiu, the programme — the latest Tema debate on Kosovo-Serbia relations — examined whether the formation represents a threat to Kosovo’s national security or protection for the Kosovo Serb population of the area.

The programme revealed how Albanians and Serbs in South and North Mitrovica, respectively, view the Civil Protection formation differently. According to the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Serbs in the north see the members of the force as protectors. While Albanians in south view them as gang members in an illegal parallel structure.

Maja Bjelos, a researcher from the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, said the formation’s disbanding has not been discussed in Serbia. It also has not been observed on the ground.

“Implementation of the Brussels Agreement in the field is not being followed at all,” she said.

“People are conscious that this will happen, as the clear political message has been conveyed that the agreement for [Civil Protection’s] integration has been reached, but how they will be integrated has not been set — as well as where they will be integrated,” she continued.

What bothers members of Civil Protection, according to Bjelos, is that they have not been asked where they should be integrated or informed about it, for that matter.

Isidora Stakic, also a researcher at Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, said the formation is viewed as a protective force by the Serb population.

“Serbs from the north see this as a civil formation … whose main goal is to provide support to population in extraordinary situations,” Stakic said.

Stakic noted that the Civil Protection is funded and overseen by local authorities in northern Kosovo.

Stakic said Civil Protection does not appear to be an armed formation, but for individual members “it is very likely that some of them that possess illegal weapons.”

Valdete Idrizi, a civil society activist in Mitrovica, said she has seen “Civil Protection” members carrying guns.

According to Idrizi, Albanians in the south of Mitrovica view Civil Protection as a criminal group.

“The Albanian population sees it as parallel structure. Some believe it is a group of criminal gangs, a structure that has not allowed Albanians to return in the north — as a structure that is financed by Belgrade. There is a perception that they are there to play a destructive role as far as town’s integration is concerned,” Idrizi said.

Security expert Florian Qehaja said Civil Protection jeopardizes national security.