Kosovo’s Inside Ministry blamed the closures on ‘masked extremists’ blocking visitors into Serbia.
Kosovo has closed two of its 4 border crossings with Serbia, the federal government stated, after protesters on the Serbian facet blocked roads and turned away passengers carrying Kosovo paperwork.
The closures on the Brnjak and Merdare crossings – each positioned in Kosovo’s northern area with a majority ethnic Serb inhabitants – got here into impact in a single day from Friday to Saturday.
Kosovar Inside Minister Xhelal Svecla stated the transfer was on account of “masked extremist teams in Serbia” selectively blocking transit for vacationers.
“And all this in plain sight of the Serbian authorities,” he stated.
No less than two different crossings between Serbia and Kosovo stay open.
What prompted the Serbian protests?
On Friday, dozens of demonstrators in Serbia blockaded the crossings to forestall visitors getting into Serbia from Kosovo.
They stated they have been protesting in opposition to the closure of parallel administrations that ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo had set as much as rival the official ones.
The Serbian authorities in Belgrade – which has by no means recognised the independence of Kosovo, its former southern province – funds a parallel well being, schooling and social safety system in Kosovo for the latter’s ethnic Serb inhabitants.
The Serbian demonstrators instructed media their border blockade would final till Kosovo police have been “withdrawn from the north of Kosovo and the usurped establishments are returned to the Serbs”.
Additionally they demanded that the NATO-led peacekeeping power in Kosovo (KFOR) “take over management within the north of Kosovo”.
The border blockade started a couple of days after police in northern Kosovo raided after which closed 5 administrative places of work linked to the Belgrade authorities.
Longstanding tensions
Kosovo’s Overseas Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz instructed reporters on Friday the Serbian protests have been “but extra proof” that Belgrade was making an attempt to impress and destabilise its southern neighbour.
Animosity has persisted between Serbia and Kosovo since a battle within the Nineties between Serbian armed forces and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian secessionists.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008. However Serbia has refused to recognise the transfer and has inspired ethnic Serbs residing in Kosovo to stay loyal to Belgrade.
Tensions ratcheted up a notch earlier this 12 months, when Kosovo made the euro the one authorized forex, successfully outlawing the usage of the Serbian dinar.
