Streets blocked in Kosovo, troops on standby in Serbia: The root causes of the latest tension in a volatile relationship

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The last major war in Europe took place on the territory of the former Yugoslavia🇧🇷 The disintegration of this state has led to seven new countries, bloody independence processes and unhealed wounds – the most serious of which is called Kosovo.

This former Serbian province with an Albanian (Muslim) majority declared independence from Serbia (Orthodox Christian). In 2008 unilaterally🇧🇷 Since then, international recognition has been a priority for Kosovar diplomacy.

The country has already applied for membership in the European Union (but has not been recognized by all 27 members) and dreams of status. primus inter pares In the international community (but not yet part of the United Nations).

As for its security, it depends on the presence of international troops in the region (such as KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo since 1999).

On the ground, Kosovo is a territory shrouded in perpetual tension. Temperatures rose a few degrees this Tuesday after the country’s Serb minority erected new barricades in the streets of the Mitrovica region (north), in a weeks-long protest.

Hours earlier, Serbia put its army and police on “full combat readiness” after Kosovo authorities feared they would remove barricades and use force to clear streets linking the city’s Serbian and Albanian zones.

“All measures will be taken to protect the Serbian people in Kosovo”

Bradislav Cacic, Minister of the Interior of Serbia

Driving large trucks through the streets and using other forms of barricades is a persistent form of protest, especially in the north of Kosovo, home to a minority of 50,000 Serbs.

These do not recognize the state of Kosovo and declare allegiance to Serbia. On a daily basis, they feel compelled to conform to the laws dictated by Belgrade and proudly reject orders from Pristina.

The origin of the current tension between Serbia and Kosovo lies in a bureaucratic procedure decided by the Kosovo government in August, which means that the cars of Kosovo Serbs will now have registration plates with the letters RKS (abbreviation of the name of the country: Republic of Kosovo).

This new law contradicts the practice since 1999, according to which Serbian minority vehicles are issued with plates licensed by Serbia, with Kosovo City abbreviations such as KM for residents of Kosovska Mitrovica or PR for residents of Pristina.

Despite deeming them illegal, Kosovo has tolerated them – until now. Last month, Serb mayors of northern municipalities, judges and hundreds of policemen resigned in protest against the accession law.

“Kosovo cannot negotiate with criminal gangs, and freedom of movement must be restored. There should be no roadblocks,” the Kosovo government said in a statement on Monday.

The document states that the Kosovo police are in the process of removing the blockade and are only awaiting the authorization of a NATO peacekeeping force (KFOR).

Mindful of the neutrality to which KFOR is bound, Serbia, for its part, has asked NATO to deploy more than 1,000 troops north of Kosovo to protect Kosovo Serbs from possible harassment by Albanians.

To add to the tension, everything happens during a festive and especially holy season for Serbs. In a harbinger of possible escalation, Kosovo on Monday denied entry into the country to Serbia’s Patriarch Porfiri.

With the Serbs (like the Russians) just days away from Christmas, on January 7, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church intended to bring a message of peace to the Kosovar Serbs. In the current environment, any intention for peace can become a fuse for war.