“A Boiling Atmosphere” in the words of the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vuccic. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo escalated on Sunday July 31 at the border between the two countries. Kosovo police say they were shot, barricades were erected on roads leading into Serbia and traffic was blocked at two border crossings in northern Kosovo. These clashes come several months after intense demonstrations, which lasted several weeks, to challenge the Kosovar government’s border policy. How can this recent escalation be explained? Franceinfo summarizes what we know about the situation.
A “tense” situation in the cities of northern Kosovo
“The security situation in the municipalities of northern Kosovo is tense”explained the NATO mission in Kosovo (Kfor) in a press release published Sunday evening. 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. Police said the shots did not cause any injuries.
Both crossings were closed to traffic. On Sunday evening, hundreds of Kosovo Serbs – population residing in Kosovo not recognizing the authority of the Kosovo government – massed trucks, tankers and other heavy vehicles on the roads leading to the crossing points of Jarinje, in the town of Leposavic, and Brnjak, two border posts in the north of the country. A crowd then settled around the barricades, with the stated intention of spending the night there. Siren sounds could also be heard for more than three hours in the northern city of Mitrovica, according to Reuters.
A resurgence of tensions linked to new entry rules
At the origin of these tensions: the new rules for entering Kosovo, which were to come into force on Monday, providing that anyone entering the country with a Serbian identity card must have a temporary document during their stay. On this subject, Prime Minister Albin Kurti had specified that it was a measure of reciprocity in the face of Serbia’s decision to demand the same from Kosovars who enter its territory.
The Kosovar government also gave the Kosovo Serbs two months to replace the Serbian license plates of their vehicles with Republic of Kosovo plates.
Rules postponed at Washington’s initiative
In the same evening, the Kosovo government finally decided to postpone the entry into force of these new rules on the border with Serbia for a month. They will finally be applied from 1 September.
Welcome Kosovo decision to move measures to 1 September. Expect all roadblocks to be removed immediately.
Open issues should be addressed through EU-facilitated Dialogue&focus on comprehensive normalization of relations btwn Kosovo&Serbia, essential for their EU integration paths— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 31, 2022
This postponement was announced after a meeting with the United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Honevier. The decision was welcomed by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, on Twitter, calling for the “immediate lifting of all roadblocks”.
A disputed border policy for several months
The recent escalation of tensions refers to a border policy of the Kosovar government which had already been challenged a few months earlier. In September 2021, northern Kosovo was the scene of high tensions and daily demonstrations when the government in Pristina – the country’s capital – decided for the first time to ban Serbian license plates on its territory.
The Kosovar authorities then deployed special police forces to enforce the law in question, setting fire to the powder in the region. Traffic had notably been blocked at the two border posts while many Serbs had blocked the access roads to Kosovo and set fire to several buildings including a customs post. Faced with these tensions, NATO had reacted by intensifying its presence in the region, explained France 24.
Serbia has never recognized Kosovo’s independence since it was declared unilaterally in 2008. Likewise, Kosovo Serbs 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 not “never been so complex” for Serbia and the Serbs who live there. “The atmosphere was brought to a boil”he continued, adding that “Serbia will win” if the Serbs are attacked. For his part, Albin Kurti accused the Serbian president of triggering “trouble”.
NATO ready to intervene in the region
Faced with this escalation, the NATO mission responsible for ensuring stability in the region since 1999 said it was ready to intervene if necessary, in a press release it issued on Sunday evening. The alliance recalled its strong presence on the spot and specified that it was in contact with the representatives of the Kosovo authorities and the Serbian defense department.
— @NATO – KFOR (@NATO_KFOR) July 31, 2022
She also clarified that she nevertheless continued to “fully support the normalization process between Pristina and Belgrade” and called “all parties to continue negotiations”. In 2011, the two countries engaged in a dialogue to try to resolve their stumbling blocks in view of Serbia’s possible future accession to the European Union, but since then no major progress has been observed.