Kosovo’s inside ministry blamed the closures on “masked extremists” blocking visitors to Serbia.
Kosovo has closed two of its 4 border crossings with Serbia, the federal government mentioned, 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 within the northern Kosovo area with a majority ethnic Serb inhabitants, got here into impact in a single day from Friday to Saturday.
Kosovo Inside Minister Xhelal Svecla mentioned the transfer was because of “extremist teams masked in Serbia” selectively blocking the passage of travellers.
“And all this in full view of the Serbian authorities,” he mentioned.
At the least two different crossings between Serbia and Kosovo stay open.
What motivated the Serbian protests?
On Friday, dozens of protesters in Serbia blocked crossings to stop visitors coming into Serbia from Kosovo.
They mentioned 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 system of well being, training and social safety in Kosovo for the latter’s ethnic Serb inhabitants.
Serbian protesters informed media that their border blockade would final till Kosovo police “withdrew from northern Kosovo and the usurped establishments have been returned to the Serbs.”
Additionally they demanded that the NATO-led peacekeeping pressure in Kosovo (KFOR) “assume management in northern Kosovo.”
The border blockade started a couple of days after police in northern Kosovo raided after which closed 5 administrative workplaces linked to the Belgrade authorities.
Lengthy-standing tensions
Kosovo’s Overseas Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz informed reporters on Friday that the Serbian protests have been “additional proof” that Belgrade was making an attempt to impress and destabilise its southern neighbour.
Animosity has persevered between Serbia and Kosovo because the Nineties conflict between Serbian armed forces and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian secessionists.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, however Serbia has refused to recognise it and has inspired ethnic Serbs dwelling in Kosovo to stay loyal to Belgrade.
Tensions escalated earlier this yr when Kosovo made the euro the only real authorized foreign money, successfully banning the usage of the Serbian dinar.
