2011 Kosovo–Serbia border clashes
Encyclopedia
The border clashes between Kosovan Serbs
and the de facto
partially recognised entity of the Republic of Kosovo
started on 25 July 2011 when the Kosovo Police crossed into Serb-controlled North Kosovo
municipalities in an attempt to control several border crossings without the consultation of either Serbia or KFOR/EULEX. Though tensions between the two sides eased somewhat after the intervention of NATO's KFOR forces, they continued to remain high amid concern from the EU, who also blamed Kosovo for the unilateral provocation.
There have been several skirmishes reported around the region with the Kosovo Police clashing with Serbs.
Though KFOR had made implementation of the "vague ultimatums" to remove the barricades, Kosovan Serbs had in the past used mountainous tracts to cross between northern Kosovo and Serbia proper. At the same as the bridge dividing Mitrovica was closed from transport to the south, the daily train to southern Serbia had full attedendances. The EU also started to demand Serbia's dismantle "the parallel structures" of government in Northern Kosovo. However, Serbia's Secretary of State for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanović said that: "We don't see these as 'parallel structures', we see these as the only structures, because we do not recognise the independence of Kosovo." He also said that a partition of Kosovo
is out of the question, even though Serbian President Boris Tadić
said he was open to the possibility.
Prior to the Kosovo Police's unilateral attempt to take over the border crossings on 26 July, the border crossings were held by EULEX and Serbian members of the Kosovo Police.
, as part of the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, respects United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244
and defies the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
(the Kosovo Serb enclaves
are under the control of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, disputed by the Kosovan Albania
n Assembly). The unilaterally proclaimed Republic of Kosovo
seeks to impose its customs officials in the administrative border crossings with Serbia. Kosovan Serbs are seeking the removal of Kosovan Albanians customs officials from border crossings with Serbia. In doing so they sough to erect road blocks that would make travel difficult for KFOR troops in the area seeking to maintain "law and order."
helicopter belonging to the Croatian Army had been fired upon. The same helicopter transported Kosovo police officers to the Jarnjak border post. Though the Kosovo police later withdrew and there was a lull in tensions, some Serbian protesters returned in the evening and attacked the post.
Clashes continued on 27 July after armed Kosovan police took over two border posts to enforce the writ of the central government in Pristina
; ethnic Serbs burned down the border post at Jarinje
. The mob, which reportedly included "dozens of masked men, armed with crowbars, clubs, axes, Molotov cocktails and handheld flares," as well as rocks and other debris, were said to have attacked the NATO troops who were a part of KFOR operations. Reports also suggested the troops may have been fired upon. This was the same border post that had been burned down in 2008 after Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence
. Following the intervention of KFOR's NATO troops, a NATO operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ralf Adametz, said that "the situation is now under control, but tense."
There was a thaw in tensions on 28 July, after all Kosovan units withdrew from North Kosovo, leaving KFOR's NATO troops in charge of maintaining peace in the region. In return, the Serbs removed most of the roadblocks they had created. KFOR took full control of the two crossings and General Erhard Bühler
declared the area around the two crossings to be military areas, therefore giving shoot-at-sight
orders to his soldiers for anyone crossing the area.
A Serbian man was later beaten up in Štrpce
(an ethnically mixed area), allegedly due to being ethnically Serbian; however this has not been confirmed.
As of 29 July, NATO units remained in control of the two border posts. However, they were prevented from returning to their bases by some of the roadblocks set up by hundreds of Serb protesters. The column of 30 armored vehicles then withdrew from the barricade, even though they were given permission to move against the protesters using force, if necessary. The decision was made to avoid further bloodshed.
On 31 July, the Serbs continued to man their roadblocks and KFOR soldiers remained isolated at the border crossings they were manning. The Kosovars then organised burnings of Serbian products and General Buhler sent an ultimatum to the Serbs blocking the road.
On 1 August, NATO said that it had cleared three of the roadblocks but claimed that there were still at least five blocks remaining on the two roads leading to Serbia. The Kosovan Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi
ordered Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanović
and the head of the Serbian negotiation team, Borislav Stefanović, to be deported after allegedly having entered Kosovo illegally. The next day, however, some roadblocks remained in place with all major roads being completely sealed off. Agence France Press reported of a severe food crisis and a shortage of medicines in the North. KFOR then requested a battalion of about 700 soldiers to reinforce its troop presence in the north so it could be more capable of dealing with future unrest.
On 3 August, Kosovan Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi
reiterated a refusal to back down on his trade ban as some of the roadblocks remained in place across the North. A deal was later struck to allow KFOR to control the border crossings in return for the dismantling of the blockades. KFOR helicopters were then used to bypass the roadblocks and establish a skeletal EULEX and Kosovo Police and Customs presence at the border crossings.
and vowed to stay there "until the bitter end," causing all the troops as the border crossings to be virtually isolated from the rest of the Kosovo. The European media reported that youths from both the Albanian and Serbian communities pelted each other with rocks near one of the blocked bridges which then led to a KFOR intervention to stop the violence.
The previous night passed without incident in most of northern Kosovo, except for a minor incident near Zupce
and Cabar
with shots being fired in the area, because of an increased police presence in Mitrovica. After the shooting, Kosovan Serbs set-up another barricade next to an already existine encampment in Zupce, on the road from Mitrovica to Ribarici; gravel was unloaded across both lanes of the road leading to the southern part of Mitrovica. The next day there were similar clashes at the roadblockes after they were re-inforced with more Serbs protesters and Kosovo Police forces. On 18 September, makeshift roadblocks were still visible as Kosovan Serbs continued to block roads, amidst promises to maintain the roadblocks until a dialogue begins about who would man the border crossings and what will happen with the revenue collected from the customs duty.
On 19 September, KFOR helicopters dropped hundreds of leaflets urging Kosovan Serbs to end their roadblocks. The five sentence leaflet, written in Cyrillic Serbian, warned citizens that blocking roads was against the law and therefore such a move "is not in line with peaceful demonstrations. Blocking roads represent[s a] danger for all in extraordinary situations, because there is no possibility to deliver help to those in need." Confirming the air drop, KFOR spokesman Ralph Adametz said that the leaflets were dropped at the barricades close to border crossings 1 and 31. He described the overall situation as unchangeable, but underlined the need for opening blocked roads. KFOR said the mission "recognises the right for peaceful protests and demonstrations" but "blocking roads doesn't represent any accepted way for expressing your concerns." The air drop began hours after the head EULEX, Xavier de Marnhac, visited the two disputed crossings. According to him, both crossings were technically ready to be fully operational but the barricades that had been put up on nearby roads prevented the gates from being utilised.
On 27 September, four soldiers were injured by pipe bomb explosions. NATO spokesman Kai Gudenoge then said that KFOR troops were forced to fire rubber bullets and tear gas in self-defense against Kosovan Serb protesters after being attacked at border crossing Gate 1 following an attempt by Kosovan Serbs to erect a new roadblock after KFOR blocked an alternative road to Serbia proper. Five of the protesters had been arrested. Hospital officials in northern Kosovo said seven Kosovan Serb protesters were also wounded from gunfire which erupted in the afternoon in Jarinje. Head of Mitrovica hospital Milan Jakovljevic said the wounded had been brought to his hospital for medical treatment. "We can't say if anyone has life threatening injures at this moment, since we are assessing their current extent of the injuries." The Kosovan government in Pristina said that it was working with both KFOR and EULEX in the quest to open the barricaded roads in the north. The local media in Mitrovica reported that two EULEX vehicles are set on fire.
KFOR's commander said that his troops would forcibly remove roadblocks on 17 October if Kosovan Serbs did not voluntarily do so. KFOR's General Erhard Drews said that "KFOR is ready and resolved to take action on behalf of freedom of movement." However, Kosovan Serbs said that they would take "defensive action" to counter KFOR's attempts at forcibly removing the roadblocks. Though the deadline passed to remove the roadblocks, KFOR troops who were sent to remove them left without incident in an effort to give the Kosovan Serbs more time to do so themselves. A KFOR commander said that "we've been given orders to go back, as we cannot go through barricades." Drews said that with the defiance of the ultimatum as "the north did not comply with the request to remove the roadblocks." In response, Kosovan Serb politicans said that any KFOR operations would be halted till 19 October for community leaders to discuss a possible compromise solution. Slavisa Ristic, mayor of Zubin Potok
, said that "there will be no KFOR actions today or tomorrow until representatives of (Serb) municipalities agree on how to end the impasse."
On the morning of 20 October, KFOR and EULEX clashed with Kosovan Serbs near Brnjak, resulting in the injuries of 22 Serbs, including women and three serious injuries, as well as 8 KFOR injuries. KFOR then entered North Kosovo after failing to reach an agreement of free movement inside four of the Serbian municipalities of Kosovop. On the same day in Dobruša, near Peć
, an ethnic Serb was killed and two other Serbs were injured following an incident at 12.30 CET alledgedly by an ethnic Albanian. The perpetrator has since given himself up to the Kosovo police. Another peaceful protest was held in Gračanica
by a few thousand Serbs.
On 24 October, at last 21 KFOR soldiers were injured in clashes with Serb protesters opposed to dismantling a roadblock. The demonstrators threw stones and attacked them with trucks, the soldiers responded with tear gas before retreating and to end the operation to avoid "serious losses on both sides." An explosion also damaged three vehicles.
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said of the initial police operation that it was a "concrete step in establishing the rule of law [in North Kosovo]." He also added that through co-operation with the "international community
...the constitution and the sovereignty of my country are sacred for myself and for my countrymen and go beyond any partnership or loyalty."
On 3 August, Kosovo stated that it would not accept a KFOR-Serbia deal which included moving road blocks in northern Kosovo. The next day Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj
accused Serbia of seeking to exploit the increased tensions to pursue what he called Serbia's "long-held dream of partitioning the region
."
Serbia
During the first phase of clashes, Serbia asked Lebanon and Germany to hold an emergency meeting at the UN. Russia and China also supported the Serbian request; however the United States and the United Kingdom were opposed to the move as they wanted the Kosovo issue to be discussed at the UN next month. The UN approved the Serbian request and the UN emergency meeting was to be held on 28 July, and will be held behind closed doors. President Boris Tadić's office also condemned the violence: "The hooligans who are sparking violence are not defending either the people or the Serb state. The people must refrain from violence."
After the first phase of the clashes the State Secretary for Kosovo Oliver Ivanović said that "one act of violence produces more violence. I am afraid we are entering a spiral of violence. Reuters
also quoted the chief negotiator of a Serbian team trying to find a solution to the violence, Borko Stefanović as saying that: "This violent act, an act of criminals and extremists, represents a clear attempt to undermine the process we are pursuing and the attempts to resolve all the issues in a peaceful manner. This greatly aggravates the position of Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and is not contributing to the resolution of the problems which had brought us here in the past couple of days."
KFOR-EULEX
On 29 September, Erhard Drews took over command of KFOR.
On 19 October, talks between KFOR and Kosovan Serb officials began. KFOR gave the ultimatum of free movement inside North Kosovo by KFOR and EULEX vehicles, which was accepted howeber an EULEX presence was rejected. KFOR officials however insisted that EULEX had to be also be given entry. As a result the talks remained deadlocked. KFOR Lieutenant Colonel Ralf Adamec said that KFOR had no plan to use force to remove the barricades, but that it nevertheless had the right to use force, "for now, we do not need to use force." Goran Bogdanović
, the Serbian Minister of Kosovo and Metohija, said that the Kosovan Serb officials and KFOR needed to reach an agreement and asked for KFOR and the Kosovan Serbs to stop the violence. The Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremić
, added that KFOR needed to stop its cycle of violence and stressed that UN Resolution 1244 needed to be respected as it sought a peaceful solution.
Supranational bodies
Other countries - Ali Ahmeti
, the leader of Democratic Union for Integration
(the largest Albanian party in Macedonia) said after the initial clashes that if the North of Kosovo was given to Serbia then he would no longer be what he chose to call himself as "Macedonia's guardian of peace." He added that Albania
ns would have to organise themselves as they had done in 2001
.
- President Barack Obama
agreed with Kocijančič, but did not condemn Kosovo.
Serbs of Kosovo
Kosovo Serbs are the second largest ethnic group in Kosovo. By the 12th century, the cultural, diplomatic and religious core of the Serbian Kingdom was located in Kosovo. This became essential to the Serbian Empire of the 14th century....
and the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
partially recognised entity of the Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
started on 25 July 2011 when the Kosovo Police crossed into Serb-controlled North Kosovo
North Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
municipalities in an attempt to control several border crossings without the consultation of either Serbia or KFOR/EULEX. Though tensions between the two sides eased somewhat after the intervention of NATO's KFOR forces, they continued to remain high amid concern from the EU, who also blamed Kosovo for the unilateral provocation.
Background
The clashes occurred after weeks of a stand-off over cross-border trade. Since the declaration of independence, Kosovo has been unable to export anything to or via Serbia.´The week prior to the incident Kosovo banned cross-border trade following Serbia's ban on Kosovan imports.There have been several skirmishes reported around the region with the Kosovo Police clashing with Serbs.
Though KFOR had made implementation of the "vague ultimatums" to remove the barricades, Kosovan Serbs had in the past used mountainous tracts to cross between northern Kosovo and Serbia proper. At the same as the bridge dividing Mitrovica was closed from transport to the south, the daily train to southern Serbia had full attedendances. The EU also started to demand Serbia's dismantle "the parallel structures" of government in Northern Kosovo. However, Serbia's Secretary of State for Kosovo, Oliver Ivanović said that: "We don't see these as 'parallel structures', we see these as the only structures, because we do not recognise the independence of Kosovo." He also said that a partition of Kosovo
Partition of Kosovo
Partition of Kosovo is hypothetical future partition of the territory of Kosovo between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Kosovo. Partition was proposed several times, as the final solution for Kosovo status process...
is out of the question, even though Serbian President Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
said he was open to the possibility.
Prior to the Kosovo Police's unilateral attempt to take over the border crossings on 26 July, the border crossings were held by EULEX and Serbian members of the Kosovo Police.
Goals
North KosovoNorth Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
, as part of the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, respects United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, adopted on June 10, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 , 1199 , 1203 and 1239 , authorised an international civil and military presence in Kosovo ) and established the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo .Resolution...
and defies the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
(the Kosovo Serb enclaves
Kosovo Serb enclaves
Kosovo Serb Enclaves are the areas of Kosovo where Serbs form a majority, except for North Kosovo. While North Kosovo is connected to the rest of Serbia and mostly functions as a part of it, the enclaves are surrounded with areas of Albanian majority....
are under the control of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, disputed by the Kosovan Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n Assembly). The unilaterally proclaimed Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
seeks to impose its customs officials in the administrative border crossings with Serbia. Kosovan Serbs are seeking the removal of Kosovan Albanians customs officials from border crossings with Serbia. In doing so they sough to erect road blocks that would make travel difficult for KFOR troops in the area seeking to maintain "law and order."
Timeline of incidents
On 26 July 2011, during the operation to take control of the border posts, Enver Zymbelli, a member of the Kosovo Police's Special Intervention Unit-Kosovo, was killed during a grenade blast near the border. Five more policemen were wounded, with at least one being treated in hospital for severe wounds. It was reported that a KFOR Mi-17MI-17
MI-17 can refer to:* Mil Mi-17, Soviet helicopter*M-17...
helicopter belonging to the Croatian Army had been fired upon. The same helicopter transported Kosovo police officers to the Jarnjak border post. Though the Kosovo police later withdrew and there was a lull in tensions, some Serbian protesters returned in the evening and attacked the post.
Clashes continued on 27 July after armed Kosovan police took over two border posts to enforce the writ of the central government in Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
; ethnic Serbs burned down the border post at Jarinje
Jarinje
Jarinje is a village in northern Kosovo, on Kosovo's northern boundary with Central Serbia, forming a disputed border between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia. Jarinje is the location of one of the NATO-staffed border checkpoints between Serbia and Kosovo...
. The mob, which reportedly included "dozens of masked men, armed with crowbars, clubs, axes, Molotov cocktails and handheld flares," as well as rocks and other debris, were said to have attacked the NATO troops who were a part of KFOR operations. Reports also suggested the troops may have been fired upon. This was the same border post that had been burned down in 2008 after Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
. Following the intervention of KFOR's NATO troops, a NATO operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ralf Adametz, said that "the situation is now under control, but tense."
There was a thaw in tensions on 28 July, after all Kosovan units withdrew from North Kosovo, leaving KFOR's NATO troops in charge of maintaining peace in the region. In return, the Serbs removed most of the roadblocks they had created. KFOR took full control of the two crossings and General Erhard Bühler
Erhard Bühler
General Erhard Bühler was the commander of KFOR, since September 2010 till September 2011. He leads approximately 5000 troops, although the number is declining as the security situation in Kosovo improves....
declared the area around the two crossings to be military areas, therefore giving shoot-at-sight
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
orders to his soldiers for anyone crossing the area.
A Serbian man was later beaten up in Štrpce
Štrpce
Štrpce is a town and municipality in the District of Uroševac, Kosovo and Metohija.According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Štrpce had a population of around 12,800 people...
(an ethnically mixed area), allegedly due to being ethnically Serbian; however this has not been confirmed.
As of 29 July, NATO units remained in control of the two border posts. However, they were prevented from returning to their bases by some of the roadblocks set up by hundreds of Serb protesters. The column of 30 armored vehicles then withdrew from the barricade, even though they were given permission to move against the protesters using force, if necessary. The decision was made to avoid further bloodshed.
On 31 July, the Serbs continued to man their roadblocks and KFOR soldiers remained isolated at the border crossings they were manning. The Kosovars then organised burnings of Serbian products and General Buhler sent an ultimatum to the Serbs blocking the road.
On 1 August, NATO said that it had cleared three of the roadblocks but claimed that there were still at least five blocks remaining on the two roads leading to Serbia. The Kosovan Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi
Bajram Rexhepi
Bajram Rexhepi is a politician. He is currently Interior Minister of the Republic of Kosovo and a member of the Kosovo Assembly. He was also the first elected post-war Prime Minister of Kosovo...
ordered Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanović
Goran Bogdanovic
Goran Bogdanović is a Serbian politician and current Minister for Kosovo and Metohija in the cabinet of Mirko Cvetković.He was born in 1963 in Raška and holds a degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture. From 1992 to 1996, he was manager of JUKO in Srbica...
and the head of the Serbian negotiation team, Borislav Stefanović, to be deported after allegedly having entered Kosovo illegally. The next day, however, some roadblocks remained in place with all major roads being completely sealed off. Agence France Press reported of a severe food crisis and a shortage of medicines in the North. KFOR then requested a battalion of about 700 soldiers to reinforce its troop presence in the north so it could be more capable of dealing with future unrest.
On 3 August, Kosovan Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi
Hashim Thaci
Hashim Thaçi is the Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo , and former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army .-Early life and education:...
reiterated a refusal to back down on his trade ban as some of the roadblocks remained in place across the North. A deal was later struck to allow KFOR to control the border crossings in return for the dismantling of the blockades. KFOR helicopters were then used to bypass the roadblocks and establish a skeletal EULEX and Kosovo Police and Customs presence at the border crossings.
Renewed clashes
On 16 September tensions reignited after the Kosovo Police, EULEX and NATO units airlifted troops from Kosovo-proper to the two border posts in an effort to re-establish control over the North. Kosovoan Serbs then blocked all the major routes leading to the two border crossings, including two major bridges connecting the divided town of MitrovicaMitrovica
Mitrovica, which stems from the name "Saint Demetrius" or "Sveti Dimitrije" may refer to:- Places :* Kosovska Mitrovica, a city in the disputed region of Kosovo* Sremska Mitrovica, a city in Srem, Serbia...
and vowed to stay there "until the bitter end," causing all the troops as the border crossings to be virtually isolated from the rest of the Kosovo. The European media reported that youths from both the Albanian and Serbian communities pelted each other with rocks near one of the blocked bridges which then led to a KFOR intervention to stop the violence.
The previous night passed without incident in most of northern Kosovo, except for a minor incident near Zupce
Zupce
Zupče i small village near Zubin Potok, Republic of Serbia, Province of Kosovo....
and Cabar
Cabar
Čabar is a town in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county in western Croatia. There are 4,387 inhabitants, with 95% Croats.-Twin towns:Čabar is twinned with: Pula, Croatia ...
with shots being fired in the area, because of an increased police presence in Mitrovica. After the shooting, Kosovan Serbs set-up another barricade next to an already existine encampment in Zupce, on the road from Mitrovica to Ribarici; gravel was unloaded across both lanes of the road leading to the southern part of Mitrovica. The next day there were similar clashes at the roadblockes after they were re-inforced with more Serbs protesters and Kosovo Police forces. On 18 September, makeshift roadblocks were still visible as Kosovan Serbs continued to block roads, amidst promises to maintain the roadblocks until a dialogue begins about who would man the border crossings and what will happen with the revenue collected from the customs duty.
On 19 September, KFOR helicopters dropped hundreds of leaflets urging Kosovan Serbs to end their roadblocks. The five sentence leaflet, written in Cyrillic Serbian, warned citizens that blocking roads was against the law and therefore such a move "is not in line with peaceful demonstrations. Blocking roads represent[s a] danger for all in extraordinary situations, because there is no possibility to deliver help to those in need." Confirming the air drop, KFOR spokesman Ralph Adametz said that the leaflets were dropped at the barricades close to border crossings 1 and 31. He described the overall situation as unchangeable, but underlined the need for opening blocked roads. KFOR said the mission "recognises the right for peaceful protests and demonstrations" but "blocking roads doesn't represent any accepted way for expressing your concerns." The air drop began hours after the head EULEX, Xavier de Marnhac, visited the two disputed crossings. According to him, both crossings were technically ready to be fully operational but the barricades that had been put up on nearby roads prevented the gates from being utilised.
On 27 September, four soldiers were injured by pipe bomb explosions. NATO spokesman Kai Gudenoge then said that KFOR troops were forced to fire rubber bullets and tear gas in self-defense against Kosovan Serb protesters after being attacked at border crossing Gate 1 following an attempt by Kosovan Serbs to erect a new roadblock after KFOR blocked an alternative road to Serbia proper. Five of the protesters had been arrested. Hospital officials in northern Kosovo said seven Kosovan Serb protesters were also wounded from gunfire which erupted in the afternoon in Jarinje. Head of Mitrovica hospital Milan Jakovljevic said the wounded had been brought to his hospital for medical treatment. "We can't say if anyone has life threatening injures at this moment, since we are assessing their current extent of the injuries." The Kosovan government in Pristina said that it was working with both KFOR and EULEX in the quest to open the barricaded roads in the north. The local media in Mitrovica reported that two EULEX vehicles are set on fire.
Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...
, said that "there will be no KFOR actions today or tomorrow until representatives of (Serb) municipalities agree on how to end the impasse."
On the morning of 20 October, KFOR and EULEX clashed with Kosovan Serbs near Brnjak, resulting in the injuries of 22 Serbs, including women and three serious injuries, as well as 8 KFOR injuries. KFOR then entered North Kosovo after failing to reach an agreement of free movement inside four of the Serbian municipalities of Kosovop. On the same day in Dobruša, near Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
, an ethnic Serb was killed and two other Serbs were injured following an incident at 12.30 CET alledgedly by an ethnic Albanian. The perpetrator has since given himself up to the Kosovo police. Another peaceful protest was held in Gračanica
Gracanica
Gračanica is a town and a municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located east of Doboj and west of Tuzla.-Gračanica:Gracanica is located in the lower valley of the River Spreča along the main road from Tuzla to Doboj, about 50 km west of Tuzla.-Municipality:The Gračanica...
by a few thousand Serbs.
On 24 October, at last 21 KFOR soldiers were injured in clashes with Serb protesters opposed to dismantling a roadblock. The demonstrators threw stones and attacked them with trucks, the soldiers responded with tear gas before retreating and to end the operation to avoid "serious losses on both sides." An explosion also damaged three vehicles.
Response
KosovoPrime Minister Hashim Thaçi said of the initial police operation that it was a "concrete step in establishing the rule of law [in North Kosovo]." He also added that through co-operation with the "international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
...the constitution and the sovereignty of my country are sacred for myself and for my countrymen and go beyond any partnership or loyalty."
On 3 August, Kosovo stated that it would not accept a KFOR-Serbia deal which included moving road blocks in northern Kosovo. The next day Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj
Enver Hoxhaj
Enver Hoxhaj is the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo and a Member of the Assembly of Kosovo.-Career:He was previously Minister of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Kosovo. He previously served as a professor at the University of Pristina...
accused Serbia of seeking to exploit the increased tensions to pursue what he called Serbia's "long-held dream of partitioning the region
Partition of Kosovo
Partition of Kosovo is hypothetical future partition of the territory of Kosovo between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Kosovo. Partition was proposed several times, as the final solution for Kosovo status process...
."
Serbia
During the first phase of clashes, Serbia asked Lebanon and Germany to hold an emergency meeting at the UN. Russia and China also supported the Serbian request; however the United States and the United Kingdom were opposed to the move as they wanted the Kosovo issue to be discussed at the UN next month. The UN approved the Serbian request and the UN emergency meeting was to be held on 28 July, and will be held behind closed doors. President Boris Tadić's office also condemned the violence: "The hooligans who are sparking violence are not defending either the people or the Serb state. The people must refrain from violence."
After the first phase of the clashes the State Secretary for Kosovo Oliver Ivanović said that "one act of violence produces more violence. I am afraid we are entering a spiral of violence. Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
also quoted the chief negotiator of a Serbian team trying to find a solution to the violence, Borko Stefanović as saying that: "This violent act, an act of criminals and extremists, represents a clear attempt to undermine the process we are pursuing and the attempts to resolve all the issues in a peaceful manner. This greatly aggravates the position of Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and is not contributing to the resolution of the problems which had brought us here in the past couple of days."
KFOR-EULEX
On 29 September, Erhard Drews took over command of KFOR.
On 19 October, talks between KFOR and Kosovan Serb officials began. KFOR gave the ultimatum of free movement inside North Kosovo by KFOR and EULEX vehicles, which was accepted howeber an EULEX presence was rejected. KFOR officials however insisted that EULEX had to be also be given entry. As a result the talks remained deadlocked. KFOR Lieutenant Colonel Ralf Adamec said that KFOR had no plan to use force to remove the barricades, but that it nevertheless had the right to use force, "for now, we do not need to use force." Goran Bogdanović
Goran Bogdanovic
Goran Bogdanović is a Serbian politician and current Minister for Kosovo and Metohija in the cabinet of Mirko Cvetković.He was born in 1963 in Raška and holds a degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture. From 1992 to 1996, he was manager of JUKO in Srbica...
, the Serbian Minister of Kosovo and Metohija, said that the Kosovan Serb officials and KFOR needed to reach an agreement and asked for KFOR and the Kosovan Serbs to stop the violence. The Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremić
Vuk Jeremic
Vuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...
, added that KFOR needed to stop its cycle of violence and stressed that UN Resolution 1244 needed to be respected as it sought a peaceful solution.
Supranational bodies
- The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton issued a statement after the initial clashes that read: "I strongly condemn the violence that has taken place in northern Kosovo. These latest developments are unacceptable." She also added that it was the "responsibility" of the Serbian and Kosovan government to restore peace between the two "nations." Her Deputy Spokesperson Maja Kocijančič said that Kosovo's unilateral decision to take over the border posts was "not helpful. It was not done in consultation neither with the European Union nor the international community and we do not approve [of] it." (sicSicSic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
)
- At the same time, a NATO statement read: "The situation deteriorated at the customs post Jarinje and it was confirmed that an act of arson was committed against that position. There have also been confirmed reports of shots fired at KFOR personnel in the vicinity."
Other countries - Ali Ahmeti
Ali Ahmeti
Ali Ahmeti is the political leader of the Democratic Union for Integration , a governing political party in Republic of Macedonia...
, the leader of Democratic Union for Integration
Democratic Union for Integration
The Democratic Union for Integration is the largest Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia, and the third largest political party in all of Macedonia...
(the largest Albanian party in Macedonia) said after the initial clashes that if the North of Kosovo was given to Serbia then he would no longer be what he chose to call himself as "Macedonia's guardian of peace." He added that Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
ns would have to organise themselves as they had done in 2001
Insurgency in Macedonia
Insurgency in Macedonia may refer to:*National Liberation War of Macedonia*Insurgency in Macedonia...
.
- President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
agreed with Kocijančič, but did not condemn Kosovo.