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2021 North Kosovo crisis

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2021 North Kosovo protests
Part of the Kosovo dispute
class=notpageimage|
Locations of barricades and traffic blocks are shown as , while locations of attacked offices are shown as . Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo.
Date20 September – 2 October 2021
(1 week and 5 days)
Location
North Kosovo
Caused byOpposition to the Government of Kosovo's decision to ban Serbian license plates
GoalsLegalisation of Serbian license plates
Methods
Resulted inAgreement in Brussels:
  • Withdrawal of Kosovo Police from Jarinje and Brnjak [sh]
  • KFOR started patrolling North Kosovo
  • Agreement on sticker regime
    • Serbian plates remain valid in Kosovo, Kosovar plates legal in Serbia, as long as the national symbols are covered with a sticker
  • End of protests
Parties
Lead figures
Number
Hundreds of civilian protesters

A series of protests by the Kosovo Serbs against the Government of Kosovo began on 20 September 2021, triggered by the government's decision to ban Serbian license plates, and ended on 2 October 2021. The protests had mostly consisted of blocking traffic near border crossings. The ban meant that people who owned vehicles with Serbian license plates in Kosovo would have had to switch for Kosovar license plates at a government vehicle registration center. The ban intended to mirror the former ban on Kosovar license plates in Serbia. The Republic of Serbia does not recognise the Republic of Kosovo[a] and considers the Kosovo–Serbia border only temporary. The protests have led the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which had been improving, to worsen. The Serbian Armed Forces are on heightened combat readiness as a result. Both sides have accused each other of great overreach. International powers have called for de–escalation, with Russia criticising Kosovo. On 30 September 2021, an agreement was reached to end the ban starting 4 October 2021, according to which the protests also ended on 2 October 2021. Kosovar license plates in Serbia and Serbian license plates in Kosovo now have their national symbols and country codes covered with a sticker.

Background

North Kosovo is majority Serb and has been a region largely opposed to an independent Kosovo, with frequent protests since Kosovo declared independence. It has not recognised the Government of Kosovo and has acted independently of it until the 2013 Brussels Agreement. According to the Brussels Agreement, by 2016 the Community of Serb Municipalities was to be formed. The Community would be a self–governing association of municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo. As of 2021, it has not yet formed, because of the Government of Kosovo freezing the Brussels Agreement and its Constitutional Court declaring some parts of the agreement to be unconstitutional.[3][4][5]

Up until 2011, Serbia issued Serbian license plates for towns in North Kosovo. In 2011, Serbia agreed to stop issuing these license plates and that they should be changed for Republic of Kosovo (RKS) or the neutral Kosovo (KS) license plates. The KS license plates do not bear any state symbols. Serbia has allowed the KS license plates on its territory, but not the RKS license plates. The agreement lasted 5 years until 2016, when it was expected a better solution would be found. The same terms were renewed on 14 September 2016 and were valid until 14 September 2021. After 14 September 2021 the conditions remained the same, but a ban on Serbian license plates was issued in Kosovo on 20 September 2021.[6] The KS license plates were also declared invalid by the Government of Kosovo which were used by some vehicles in Kosovo, including by owners who often had to travel across the Kosovo–Serbia border.[7][8]

The motive of the Government of Kosovo in the ban had been to mirror the former, similar policy of the Government of Serbia by which the Republic of Kosovo license plates had been banned since Kosovo declared independence, and vehicles with RKS license plates in Serbia had to switch them for temporary Serbian plates.[9] Vehicles with Serbian license plates in Kosovo were supposed to, up to the 30 September 2021 Agreement in Brussels, have their Serbian license plates taken off and switched for Kosovar license plates at a government vehicle registration center. Drivers who had visited the country with Serbian license plates had to get temporary plates. The temporary plates costed a 5 euro (2021 value) tax and were valid for 60 days.[10][11] The ban would have reportedly impacted around 9,500 vehicles with Serbian license plates in North Kosovo which were to have to wear permanent Kosovar license plates.[12] This was originally supposed to be done after the 2011 agreement, but no attempts were made to enforce it.[6]

Protests

The protests organised by the Kosovo Serbs against the Government of Kosovo began on 20 September 2021.[13] On the same day, over 20 vehicles of the Kosovo Police, of which over 10 were armoured, came to the site of the protests.[14] Hundreds of local ethnic Serbs had been protesting daily.[15] They were blocking the roads leading to the two border crossings with Serbia in North Kosovo, near Jarinje and Brnjak [sh], with vehicles and barricades reinforced by gravel. On 23 September 2021 the traffic block consisting of vehicles became 3 kilometres long on the Kosovska Mitrovica–Raška road in Jarinje. Protesters were sleeping next to the protest sites in improvised tents. Representatives of the Serb List also attended the protests.[16]

The protests had been mostly calm.[10][17] However, on 25 September 2021, two government vehicle registration centers in Zvečan and Zubin Potok were attacked by arson, and allegedly with hand grenades that failed to explode.[18][19] On 23 September 2021, the Kosovo Police was accused of injuring three people unrelated to the protests, two seriously, who are now in hospital. Kosovo has denied involvement and says that it's "disinformation".[20][21]

Banner put up by Serbs in support of the protests in Štrpce, Novo Brdo, and Ranilug, citing: "Welcome to the Community of Serb Municipalities"[22]

According to the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia mediated by the European Union (EU) Representative for the Balkan–Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák in Brussels, reached on 30 September 2021, the Kosovar special police withdrew by 16:00 local time, 2 October 2021. Along with this, the barricades set up by the protesters were removed by local Serbs and the traffic blocks ended, leading to border traffic resuming. KFOR troops replaced the police units and will be present for the next two weeks.[23][24]


Government responses

The decision to ban Serbian license plates and the ongoing protests prompted the Serbian Armed Forces to raise the combat readiness of its troops on the border with Kosovo.[17] The army started transporting military equipment to the border area, including its fighter jets and helicopters, and tanks, on 26 September 2021.[25]

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of "inciting and supporting" the attacks on government buildings. He also accused Serbia of "exploiting Kosovo citizens to provoke a serious international conflict." The attacks were described by the Interior Ministry of Kosovo as "having terrorist elements". The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić has described Kosovo's license plate ban as a "criminal action". He made the withdrawal of Kosovar special police ROSU a condition for starting EU-mediated negotiations to resolve the dispute.[26] The mayors of majority Serbian municipalities on 27 September also requested a withdrawal of the units and more KFOR prsence, citing the incident on 23 September 2021 when 3 Serbs were injured as a concern.[27] The special police units withdrew as part of the 30 September 2021 Agreement in Brussels on 2 October 2021.

On 30 September 2021, an agreement was reached that effectively ended the ban on Serbian license plates, starting 08:00 local time, 4 October 2021. The agreement also effectively ended the ban on Kosovar license plates in Serbia. The agreement is intended as a temporary solution. The solution is to cover the national symbols of Kosovo on Kosovar RKS license plates in Serbia, as well as to cover the national symbols of Serbia on Serbian license plates in Kosovo and their country codes RKS and SRB with a sticker. A working group will be formed and meet on 21 October 2021 in Brussels for the first time to find a permanent solution in accordance with EU standards.[28][29][30]

Reactions

On 26 September 2021, Russian diplomats together with the Serbian Defense Minister Nebojša Stefanović visited an inspection of Serbian forces in the military base of Rudnica. Rudnica is a few kilometres away from the Kosovo–Serbia border. Russia will deploy air defense forces to Serbia for joint military exercises which will be held in October.[31] On 27 September 2021, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, the Kosovo Force, stepped up the amount and duration of its patrols. The increase is most notable near the border crossings, moving armored vehicles close to protesters' border blocks.[11]

The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, the NATO Secretary General, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission called for both parties to de–escalate and sit in talks following the increased tensions.[32][33] On 27 September 2021, Spokeswoman of Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has criticised the conduct of Kosovo. She has called for the retreat of the military forces of NATO and the EU mission, as well as Kosovo's security personnel, to "prevent escalation".[34] On 27 September 2021, the Russian Embassy in Serbia has approved of the conduct of the Government of Serbia in the tensions, saying Serbia "is showing the greatest responsibility and restraint". Russia has described Kosovo's actions as "provocative".[35]

See also

Notes

a. ^ Template:Kosovo-note

References

  1. ^ "Srpska lista: Odbijeno da se sklone specijalci, a da ostane odluka o tablicama". www.slobodnaevropa.org (in Serbian (Latin script)). Radio Free Europe. 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Albania Defends Kosovo's Sovereignty, Criticizes Serbia's Military Maneuvers". Exit News. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Could Balkan break-up continue?". BBC. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. ^ ""Koha ditore": Kosovska vlada bez ingerencija na severu Kosova - Vesti dana - Vesti Krstarice". 13 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Kosovo freezes key EU deal on autonomy for Serb communities". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Kosovo, Srbija i pregovori: Zašto su zabranjene srpske registarske tablice". BBC News na srpskom. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 24 September 2021 suggested (help)
  7. ^ "Tensions rise at Kosovo border as number plate row escalates". The Guardian. 2 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Ljudi na Kosovu zbunjeni i boje se da će im zbog tablica oduzimati vozila". Danas (newspaper). 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Kosovo says offices attacked in volatile north as Serbs block roads". Reuters. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Kosovo: New restrictions on Serbian license plates spark protests | DW | 21.09.2021". DW.COM. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  11. ^ a b "NATO increases patrols near Kosovo-Serbia border blockage". CNN. 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Andrić: Na Kosovu je zarobljeno 9.500 vozila sa srpskim tablicama". Danas. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 September 2021 suggested (help)
  13. ^ "Preletanje srpskih aviona i kosovska policija: Šta se dešava na Kosovu". BBC News na srpskom (in Serbian (Latin script)). Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  14. ^ "Specijalne jedinice Rosu na prelazima na Kosovu, skidaju srpske tablice". Danas. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 September 2021 suggested (help)
  15. ^ "Serbian troops on heightened alert at Kosovo border". Al Jazeera. 26 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Mirno na Jarinju, građani i dalje blokiraju prelaz". Danas (newspaper). 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Serbia Puts Troops On High Alert Along Border With Kosovo Amid Recognition Standoff". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  18. ^ Armstrong, Mark (2021-09-26). "Kosovo government offices attacked over license plates row with Serbia". euronews. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  19. ^ "Quint ambassadors call for de-escalation in Kosovo". Euractiv. 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Dvojica Srba povređenih kod Brnjaka imaju teške telesne povrede". Danas. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Policija Kosova demantuje da su njeni pripadnici pretukli trojicu Srba". Danas. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 September 2021 suggested (help)
  22. ^ "TANJUG | Policija i u Štrpcu sklonila plakat "Dobrodošli u ZSO"". www.tanjug.rs. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  23. ^ "Kosovo, Serbia agree deal to end border tensions". Reuters. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  24. ^ "NATO troops patrol Kosovo-Serbia border after truck blockade". Associated Press. 2 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Serbian tanks on the way to Jarinje? Fighter jets flew over northern Kosovo". B92.net. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  26. ^ "Govt offices in Kosovo targeted as tensions soar with Serbia". Associated Press. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Gradonačelnici srpskih opština na severu Kosova zatražili veće prisustvo Kfora u srpskim sredinama". Danas (newspaper). 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Kosovo, Serbia agree deal to end border tensions". Reuters. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "Lajčak: Imamo dogovor, Priština i Beograd postigli sporazum o deeskalaciji". Danas (newspaper). 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Počela primena dogovora Beograda i Prištine o nalepnicama za vozila". Danas (newspaper). 4 October 2021. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  31. ^ "Russia to send air defense missile systems to Serbia amid escalation on Kosovo border". uawire. 28 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  32. ^ "The West Calls for Restraint on 'Both Sides' after Serbia Flies Fighter Jets Near Kosovo Border". Exit News. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Von der Leyen urges end to Serbia-Kosovo border tensions". Politico. 29 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Russia Urges NATO, EU To Withdraw Forces From Kosovo To Prevent Escalation". Republicworld. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Russian Embassy in Belgrade: Serbia acts with greatest responsibility in Kosovo and Metohija". Telegraf. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
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