Over the weekend, Russian- and Ukrainian-language social media accounts started writing about the “imminent war in the Balkans”, but the situation seems to be different.
Over the weekend, there were many reports of a new war in the Balkans, supposedly to divert attention from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. On Sunday, July 31, some unrest began in the northern part of Kosovo. There are also reports of a shooting, but still no confirmation that it actually happened, and strong statements from Serbia. But, in the end, some international action or a real armed conflict was avoided.
Very old history
Kosovo’s Serb minority has been driving cars with Serbian registration numbers since the end of the Kosovo war in 1999. Even 11 years ago, Serbia allowed cars with Kosovo license plates to enter in its territory, subject to the payment of a special fee. Because of this, drivers who frequently travel to Serbia prefer to use its numbers.
Since then, Kosovo has been trying to introduce mirror measures, but continues to face protests from ethnic Serbs living in the northern regions of the partially recognized state. These protests were fueled, of course, by Belgrade.
A year ago, in September 2021, Kosovo authorities ordered all drivers entering from Serbia to affix a temporary two-month-old printed Kosovo number on top of their Serbian license plates.
The Kosovo Serbs then blocked the Brnjak and Yarinje border checkpoints with trucks and barricades, and the border checkpoints had to be unblocked with the help of the police.
From August 1, Kosovo again tried to impose restrictions on the movement of Serbian license plates. It is planned that from August 1, citizens wishing to enter Kosovo with a Serbian identity card will have to obtain a special declaration for entry and exit from the country within three months. This document will be issued when crossing the land border, as well as at the airport.
In addition, drivers in cars with Serbian license plates will have to re-register them for Kosovans to enter the country.
The new restrictions mainly affect residents of Kosovska Mitrovica, a city in the north of Kosovo, where the majority of ethnic Serbs live.
New increase
The innovations again provoked protests from the Serbs. On Sunday, about two dozen trucks blocked roads near the Brnjak border crossing, a small crowd of protesters gathered near another crossing, Yarinje; in Kosovska Mitrovica, air raid sirens were activated; the local newspaper reported that Serbs threw stones at Kosovo police. There are also reports of a shooting, but there is no confirmation that it actually happened.
According to the KosSev portal, signs appeared in Kosovska Mitrovica on Sunday: “Don’t surrender, leave the Serbian identity card.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused Pristina authorities of persecuting ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo.
“They decided to impose what they have no right to impose, first of all, on the inhabitants of northern Kosovo and Metohija,” he said.
Although, we recall again, in Serbia, in relation to cars with registration in Kosovo, exactly the same standards apply.
We decided to wait
In the end, the Kosovo authorities decided to postpone for a month the introduction of new entry rules for Serbian citizens.
“According to the administration in Pristina, these measures will be postponed until September 1 if the barricades at the administrative border checkpoints are removed on Monday,” local television reported. It was noted that such a decision was made at the request of the US authorities.
The decision, according to Reuters, came before Pristina’s consultations with the European Union and the United States; the US ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said he asked for the measures to be delayed because there was “a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding” around them. EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said he welcomes the decision and expects the barricades to be lifted immediately.
Serbs living in the north of Kosovo, on Monday, dismantled part of the barricades. NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers, supported by helicopters, observed the removal of the barricades.
It is not yet clear how many barricades have been removed. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said a total of nine roadblocks had been set up.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.