Tensions in Northern Kosovo – NATO Intervention is needed

It has been more than a week since the Kosovo Government established reciprocity for vehicle license plates with Serbia, this was announced after the Brussels agreement deadline on free movement expired on September 15. The agreement reached in July 2011, in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, was never respected by Serbia, which led Kosovo to establish reciprocity with the neighboring state.

In order to implement the decision for reciprocity, immediately after the agreement expired, considerable police forces and special units have been sent to the North of Mitrovica, having in mind escalation from the past while trying to extend sovereignty in this part of Kosovo. That thing has gathered in the streets local Serbs, led by municipal structures. Serb protesters have barricaded with bulldozers, trucks and other heavy vehicles the road leading to the border crossings in Brnjak and Jarinje, by stopping citizens from free movement and law enforcement.

Since September 16, Serbian protesters have been spending their nights at barricades consuming alcohol and inciting provocations, but so far there has been no reaction from Kosovo police. Serbs protesters burned down the Vehicle Registration Center in Zubin Potok and bombed the Civil Registry Center in Zvecan. Establishing reciprocity with Serbia has led Vucic to convene the National Security Council urgent meeting and issue threatening statements about Kosovo. He called for the immediate withdrawal of Kosovo police from the north of the country or “Serbia’s reactionwill be painful,” Vucic said, implying that Serbia could endanger Kosovo’s security within its borders at any time.

The north of Kosovo continues to be blocked and Kosovo police continue to ensure that the situation does not escalate. Calls to ease tensions from the EU and the US have had no effect even after a week. As Kosovo Prime Minister considers the measure of reciprocity to be the right decision and does not intend to withdraw, he is also unanimously supported by the opposition. But tensions have risen since the third day of roadblocks in the north, when Vucic called on the military to be ready in case of a “need” for intervention.

Following Vucic’s call for readiness, Serbia has activated military helicopters and planes that are occasionally flying around the border area with Kosovo and also has sent heavy military vehicles near the border. Vucic has also used harsh rhetoric towards NATO, giving an ultimatum, if the northern Serbs are affected, Serbia will intervene militarily within 24 hours.

Where did Kosovo go wrong with the Serb minority?

The superior treatment of Kosovo Serbs over the years is boomeranging back to the Kosovo Government. Kosovo Serbs have met all the conditions for living in Kosovo, but they have consistently refused the hand of the state of Kosovo. For 22 years they do not pay taxes for services they receive from the state of Kosovo while continuing to maintain strong ties and being led by the Serbian state. Recently, Kosovo Government decided to pay the debt of 15 million euros to Kosovo Serbs for unpaid electricity so far. Kosovo Serbs have never been treated equally with other communities living here. This over-treatment is the mistake that will appear with new demands from time to time, in various forms.

Risk from the third parties

Experience from the past shows that third parties are often involved in creating such situations in the Western Balkans. Russian agents are often caught preparing the ground for unrest in Kosovo and region. The involvement of Russian agents was not absent this time as well, when two Russians and a Belarusian tried to enter Kosovo on Thursday carrying cyber equipment. Two of them were detained by Kosovo police while the third, Sergei Belous, was able to infiltrate Kosovo along with other Serbs. 

Belous was also deported from Albania after being suspected of illegal acts. This Russian is reported to have been a participant in the war between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko inspected the Serbian military forces at their base in Raska together with the Minister of Defense of Serbia, and the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Army.

Emergency solution

While Serbia has deployed military equipment near the border and activated military helicopters and aircraft in the border area, calls for the withdrawal of Kosovo police – from Kosovo – are ridiculous. Vucic’s claims that he will activate Serbian army to protect Serb citizens of Kosovo are completely wrong. This whole situation has been dramatized by Vucic after Kosovo decided on the reciprocity for license plates, something that Serbia has been doing for more than 10 years for vehicles entering from Kosovo. 

On the other hand, the General Secretary of NATO had telephone conversations with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. After telephone conversations with the leaders of the two countries, he called for restraint and de-escalated the situation, recalling that NATO and KFOR have mandates for security and freedom of movement for all.

Only immediate KFOR intervention would contribute to reducing tensions in northern Kosovo, as reciprocity with vehicle license plates seems to go on. Stabilizing tensions in northern Kosovo by NATO-KFOR would bring Kurti and Vucic back to the negotiating table in Brussels, at best Serbia should recognize the reality that Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state and does not need to activate its army for Kosovo citizens.