Kosovo Serbs, who have been blocking roads for almost three weeks, have begun lifting their blockades

The situation in Kosovo seems to be calming down. The Serb minority in Kosovo, which has been blocking roads for almost three weeks, began to lift its roadblocks on Thursday, December 29, near the border with Serbia.

Kosovo police have confirmed the official reopening of the main border crossing with Serbia, which was closed the day before. Images from Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) showed lines of cars and trucks formed on the Serbian side.

The dismantling of the dams was announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday evening, after a call for de-escalation launched by Washington and the European Union (EU). “The barricades will be dismantled, but mistrust remains”Vucic said during a meeting with Kosovo Serb representatives near the Kosovo border, according to comments quoted by RTS.

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Release of a former Serbian policeman

In a move clearly intended to ease tensions, a court in Pristina earlier the same day ordered the release and placement under house arrest of a former Serbian policeman, Dejan Pantic, whose arrest had angered the Serbian minority.

On Thursday morning, the situation in northern Kosovo was calm, with patrols by international peacekeeping forces, according to a correspondent for Agence France-Presse (AFP). In Mitrovica, two trucks used to block a bridge had burned during the night. The cause of the accident was unknown.

Serb demonstrators stand near the village of Rudare, north of Mitrovica, Kosovo, December 29, 2022.

In Rudare, north of Mitrovica, a dozen demonstrators were still holding a roadblock and were opposed to the idea of ​​leaving: “It makes no sense, we fought for rights that weren’t won, we feel betrayed”told AFP one of them, aged 25, who did not want to give his name. “Why did we come to the roadblocks if everything ends like this? »launched another protester, aged 38, who also requested anonymity.

Since December 10, several hundred members of the Serbian minority have erected roadblocks in northern Kosovo to protest against the arrest of the former Serbian policeman, paralyzing traffic to two border crossings with Serbia. Last week, the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, judged that the situation in this region was “on the brink of armed conflict”. Kosovo police and peacekeepers have suffered several attacks involving firearms, as Serbia put its armed forces on high alert.

“Unconditional de-escalation”

Kosovo, a former Serbian province, declared its independence in 2008, a decade after a deadly war between Serbian forces and Albanian rebels; but Serbia does not recognize it. Belgrade encourages the Serbian minority – approximately 120,000 people, out of 1.8 million inhabitants in Kosovo – to refuse all loyalty to Pristina at a time when the Kosovo authorities want to assert their sovereignty over the whole territory.

In early November, hundreds of Serbian police officers integrated into the Kosovo police, as well as judges, prosecutors and other officials left their posts en masse to protest against a decision by Pristina, now suspended, to ban Serbs living in Kosovo to use license plates issued by Serbia.

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On Wednesday, the United States and the EU jointly called for a “unconditional de-escalation”ensuring work with Belgrade “to find a political solution in order to ease tensions and achieve progress in the interests of stability, security and the well-being of all local populations”.

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Russia reaffirmed its support for Belgrade on Wednesday. “We have very close allied, historical and spiritual relations with SerbiaKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Of course, we support Belgrade in the actions it takes. »

The World with AFP

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