AFP – General Main border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo reopened 29/12/2022 14:06

The main border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo reopened this Thursday (29), after days of tension that has alarmed the world over the worst crisis in years in the region.

Following the removal of a barricade on the Serbian side, Kosovo police confirmed that “it is back to normal” and that the Merdare border crossing, the mainland connection with Serbia, which has been closed since yesterday, has reopened.

Images from Serbian state television RTS showed queues of vehicles and trucks on the Serbian side. Serbia lifted its high alert status on its soldiers on Monday night, according to RTS.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced last night that the Serbian minority in Kosovo will remove the barricades set up about three weeks ago, following calls for calm from the United States and the European Union.

“The barricades will be removed, but insecurity remains,” Vucic said during a meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs near the border with the Albanian-majority district, according to RTS. said.

According to an AFP correspondent, the situation in northern Kosovo was calm on Thursday morning and it was possible to observe patrols of international peacekeeping forces.

Two trucks used to cover a bridge in Mitrovica burned down overnight. The causes of the fire are still unknown.

In Rudare, near Mitrovica, a dozen people stood in front of a barricade, expressing their dissatisfaction with the idea of ​​removing the barricade.

“It doesn’t make sense, we are fighting for unearned rights, we feel betrayed,” said one of the 25-year-olds at the event, who declined to be named.

Another 38-year-old protester, who did not want to be named, said: “Why did we come to the barricades if it’s going to end like this?” said.

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Since December 10, hundreds of Serbs have set up barricades in northern Kosovo to protest the arrest of a former Serbian police officer accused of involvement in attacks on Albanian-Kosovo police.

On Wednesday, a Pristina court ordered the release of former agent Dejan Pantic from prison and placed under house arrest.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic described the situation in the region as “on the verge of an armed conflict” last week.

Kosovo police and international peacekeeping forces have been the target of numerous gun attacks.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, ten years after the war between Serbian forces and Albanian rebels.

Belgrade does not recognize the independence of the then southern province, mostly Albanian. And it encouraged Kosovo’s Serb minority, which is about 120,000 people and concentrated in the north of the region, to challenge the authorities in the capital, Pristina.

In early November, hundreds of Kosovo Serb police officers, judges, prosecutors and other officials left their posts en masse to protest Pristina’s decision to ban Serbs residing in Kosovo from wearing a driver’s license, which has since been suspended. Plates issued in Serbia.

According to Serbian political analyst Aleksandar Popov, tensions are so high in Kosovo that “one stray bullet will be enough” to change the course of the situation. However, he described this latest crisis as a “controlled conflict” and a rivalry between Belgrade and Pristina for control of the north.

On Wednesday, the United States and the European Union jointly called for “unconditional de-escalation”. Russia, on the other hand, reiterated its historic support for Belgrade.