NATO peacekeepers oversee removal of roadblocks in Kosovo

NATO-led peacekeepers backed with helicopters Monday (1 August) oversaw the removal roadblocks protesters had erected in north Kosovo. This is where political tensions flared for more than 20 years since a crisis ended with NATO airstrikes.

After the Kosovo government delayed the implementation of a decision which would have obliged ethnic Serbs (a majority in the north) to apply for documents or car license plates issued from Kosovan institutions, the barricades were removed.

This situation has rekindled faultiness between Serbia and Russia. Neither country recognizes Kosovo, which is Western-aligned and has blocked its attempts to join the United Nations. Kosovo is a country that has been recognized by over 100 countries. It seeks to join NATO.

After consultations with US ambassadors and EU ambassadors, the government decided to delay.

"Violence won't be tolerated. On Monday, Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated to journalists that those who use violence would be punished by the rule-of-law with the force. He stated that nine road bocks were in operation.

It wasn't immediately clear how many roadblocks had been removed. A Reuters reporter reported that a bridge close to Brnjak's border crossing remained blocked in the afternoon.

The majority of roadblocks had been removed by 1.30 p.m. (1130 GMT), but border crossing was not yet reopened.

Some 50,000 ethnic Serbs living in the north continue to use license plates and papers issued them by the Serbian authorities 14 years after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. They refuse to recognize the Kosovan government.

In protest of the new policy, ethnic Serbs parked heavy machinery and trucks with gravel near the border to Serbia on Sunday. The government agreed to delay the move until Sept. 1.

Local Serbs will then have 60 days to change to Kosovo license plates and accept documents at the border to Serbian citizens. This includes those who live in Kosovo but do not have local papers.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said that "Now, thank you, some escalation was avoided overnight, but the situation has only been delayed by 1 month."

Tensions with Serbia are high, and Kosovo's fragile peace has been maintained by NATO's KFOR mission. It has 3,770 troops on ground. Sunday's statement by the mission stated that it is ready to act in accordance with its mandate, if stability were threatened.

On Sunday, peacekeepers from Italy were visible in the area around Mitrovica (northern Serbia)

Witness to Reuters saw helicopters from KFOR fly over Kosovo's north, bordering Serbia. As the roadblocks were being removed, peacekeepers stood at the roadside to chat with residents.

On Monday, additional documents were issued to Serbian citizens at Merdare, the largest border crossing between Serbian and Kosovo. The government of Kosovo stated that it would cease issuing documents to citizens once roadblocks are removed.

After local Serbs had blocked the same roads in a second row over license plates, Kosovo's government deployed special police force and Belgrade flew fighter planes close to the border.

Serbia and Kosovo agreed to have a dialogue sponsored in 2013 by the European Union to attempt to resolve any outstanding issues, but very little has been achieved.

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