Kosovo-Serbia: update on the tense situation on the border between the two countries

Europe 1 with AFP 4:34 p.m., December 29, 2022

The main border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo reopened on Thursday, signaling a move towards easing tensions that have sparked international calls to ease one of the region's worst crises in recent years.

After the dismantling of a roadblock on the Serbian side of the Merdare border post, the Kosovo police confirmed "the return to normal" and the reopening of this post, closed the day before, the main crossing point with Serbia.

Lines of cars and trucks in Serbia

Footage from Serbian state television RTS showed lines of cars and trucks forming on the Serbian side.

According to RTS, Serbia has lifted the heightened state of alert in which it had placed its troops on Monday evening.

On Wednesday evening, after a call for de-escalation issued to both parties by Washington and the European Union, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced the dismantling by the Serb minority in Kosovo of the roadblocks installed nearly three weeks ago.

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"The barricades will be dismantled but distrust remains," said Aleksandar Vucic during a meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs near the Kosovo border, according to comments quoted by RTS.

In a move ostensibly aimed at easing tensions, a Pristina court earlier on Wednesday ordered the release and placement under house arrest of a Serbian ex-policeman, Dejan Pantic, whose arrest sparked anger among the minority Serbian.

Quiet location in northern Kosovo

Thursday morning, the situation in northern Kosovo was calm, with patrols of international peacekeeping forces according to an AFP correspondent.

In Mitrovica, two trucks used to block a bridge had burned during the night.

The cause of the accident was unknown.

In Rudare near Mitrovica, a dozen demonstrators were still on a roadblock and expressed their dissatisfaction at the idea of ​​removing it.

"It makes no sense, we fought for rights that weren't won, we feel betrayed," one of them, 25, told AFP. did not want to give his name.

“Why did we come to the roadblocks if it all ends like this?” said another protester, 38, who also requested anonymity.

Protests against the arrest of a Serbian policeman

Since December 10, several hundred members of the Serbian minority have erected roadblocks in northern Kosovo to protest against the arrest of the Serbian policeman, paralyzing traffic to two border crossings with Serbia.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said last week that the situation in this region was "on the verge of armed conflict".

Kosovo police and international peacekeepers have suffered several attacks involving firearms.

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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 - around 120,000 people out of Kosovo's 1.8 million inhabitants - to refuse all loyalty to Pristina at a time when the Kosovar authorities want to establish their sovereignty over the whole territory.

A decision by Pristina that put the Serbs in the wind

At the beginning of November, hundreds of Serb policemen 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 from use license plates issued by Serbia.

According to Serbian political analyst Aleksandar Popov, tensions are so high in Kosovo that "all it takes is a stray bullet" to reverse the course of events.

He nevertheless described the latest crisis as a "controlled conflict" and a showdown between Belgrade and Pristina to control the North.

"Pristina gave the Serbs reason to protest by making arrests, the blockades were orchestrated by Belgrade and international forces to prevent escalation," he told AFP.

"As soon as it seemed to spiral out of control, the West used diplomatic means to shut the whole thing down."

The United States and the European Union jointly called on Wednesday for "unconditional de-escalation", urging both sides to "refrain from any provocation, threats or intimidation".

Russia has reaffirmed its support for Belgrade.