Kosovo police said on Sunday they came under fire in the north of the country where barricades were erected on roads leading into Serbia in protest against the government’s border policy.
The NATO mission in Kosovo (KFOR) said in a press release published on Sunday, “ready to intervene if stability is threatenedin northern Kosovo, where tensions have been seen in recent hours. “Our mission is fully focused on the daily implementation of its UN mandate to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all inhabitants of Kosovo.“, we added in this document, being of a “general tense security situationin the municipalities of the north of the country.
Kosovo police said on Sunday they came under fire in the north of the country where barricades were erected on roads leading into Serbia in protest against the government’s border policy. The shots did not cause any injuries, police said in a statement. Both crossings were closed to traffic. On Sunday evening, hundreds of Kosovo Serbs massed trucks, tankers and other heavy vehicles on the roads leading to the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings, an AFP journalist noted. A crowd then settled around the barricades, with the stated intention of spending the night there. Air raid sirens sounded for more than three hours in the small town of North Mitrovica, inhabited mainly by Serbs.
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Since Monday, anyone entering Kosovo with a Serbian identity card will have to replace it with a temporary document during their stay in the country, according to a decision by the Pristina government. In addition, Kosovo Serbs whose vehicles bear registration plates issued in Serbia will have to replace them with Republic of Kosovo plates within two months.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti clarified on Sunday that it was a measure of reciprocity, insofar as Serbia – which does not recognize the independence of its former province with an Albanian majority proclaimed in 2008 – demands the same from Kosovars entering its territory. The Serbs of Kosovo do not recognize the authority of Pristina, nor the independence of Kosovo, and remain loyal to Belgrade on which they depend financially.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an address to the nation on Sunday that the situation in Kosovo had “notnever been so complexfor Serbia and the Serbs who live there. “The atmosphere was boilingMr. Vucic said, adding that “Serbia will winif the Serbs are attacked. For his part, Albin Kurti accused Mr. Vucic of triggering “troubles». «The next few hours, days and weeks can be difficult and problematic“, wrote the Kosovar president on Facebook.
Last September, the north of Kosovo was the scene of strong tensions, after Pristina’s decision to ban Serbian license plates on its territory, punctuated by daily demonstrations and blockage of traffic at the two border posts. Tensions between the two countries are now at their highest level in years and Kosovo’s fragile peace is maintained by a NATO mission which has 3,770 soldiers on the ground. Italian blue helmets were also visible on Sunday in Mitrovica and its surroundings. The two countries engaged in a European Union-sponsored dialogue in 2013 to try to resolve outstanding issues, but little progress has been made.