Exchanges of fire took place with police on Saturday after hundreds of Serbs erected barricades on a road in the north of the country, blocking traffic at two crossing points between Kosovo and Serbia. Belgrade must formalize Monday or Tuesday a missive asking NATO to deploy security forces in Kosovo.
Tension was high on Sunday December 11 in northern Kosovo after unidentified gunmen exchanged fire with police overnight from Saturday to Sunday. Dozens of Serbs gathered again in the morning on roadblocks built the day before and which paralyze traffic at two border crossings between Kosovo and Serbia. These Kosovo Serbs are protesting against the arrest of a former police officer who resigned in November along with other representatives of the Serb minority in protest against Pristina’s decision to ban Serbian license plates.
European Union police deployed in the region as part of the EULEX mission said they were also targeted by a stun grenade, which caused no injuries in its ranks.
Tensions have risen ahead of local elections in Serb-majority municipalities originally scheduled for December 18, which the main Serbian party wants to boycott. Explosions and gunshots were heard earlier in the week as local authorities tried to prepare for the vote. A policeman from the Albanian community, part of the forces deployed in the region, was injured.
Belgrade wants to appeal to NATO
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has indicated his intention to seek permission to deploy security forces. A first for Belgrade since the end of the war in Kosovo in 1999 and the proclamation of independence of the former Serbian province. ” We agreed to ask the commander of Kfor for permission to deploy the armed and police forces of the Republic of Serbia on the territory of Kosovo, in accordance with the Security Council resolution, he explained. But we have no illusions that they accept our request. »
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti for his part accused Serbia of “ threaten Kosovo with aggression “.
Local elections postponed
In order to defuse tensions, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani announced for her part a postponement of the early local elections originally scheduled for December 18 in four municipalities with a Serb majority. Elections that the Serbian political parties intend to boycott. ” On the basis of the assessments, in particular the report of the security institutions, I proposed the postponement of the local elections in four localities, she indicated. In conclusion, we have set the date of these elections for April 2023. »
The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and the United States, as well as the representation of the EU, welcomed this postponement, seeing it as a “ constructive decision ” for ” advancing efforts to achieve a more secure situation in the north “.
Kosovo’s Serb minority, which numbers around 120,000 out of a total Kosovo population of some 1.8 million, has refused Kosovo’s self-proclaimed independence since 2008 and its loyalty to Pristina, with encouragement from Belgrade.
(With AFP)