Why ethnic tensions flare again in northern Kosovo

PRISTINA, December 27 (Reuters) – Protesters in the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica, a division of the Serb ethnicity, erected new barricades Tuesday after Serbia declared that it had placed its army on high combat alert. This was hours after escalating tensions between Belgrade, Pristina, and Serbia for weeks.

The defense ministry of Serbia said that President Aleksandar Vucic had placed Serbia’s police and army on high alert, citing the latest developments in the region and Belgrade’s belief that Kosovo was planning to attack Serbs.

Kosovo’s government urged NATO peacekeepers not to remove the barricades but claimed it was ready and able to do so.

Kosovo and Serbia are planning to join Europe and have reached an agreement to work together to solve their problems and to build good neighborly relations.

Here are some facts about this standoff:

WHY DO THERE TENIONS?

Kosovo was granted independence from Serbia in 2008. This happened almost ten years after the guerrilla rebellion against Belgrade’s oppressive rule.

Serbia however still regards Kosovo as an integral part of its territory. This is despite accusations that it is stirring up conflict and tension within its borders. Belgrade accuses Pristina, accusing it of violating the rights and freedoms of the minorities of Serbs.

Ethnic Serbs do not recognise the Pristina state or government institutions. Kosovo has 1.8 million inhabitants. The remaining 5% are ethnic Albanians. The Serbs vented hostility by refusing payment to Kosovo’s electricity operator, and attacking police officers who make arrests.

WHY DO TENSIONS CHANGE AGAIN?

New ethnic tensions have flared since Dec. 10, when Serbs set up multiple roadblocks and engaged in a firefight with police following the arrest of a former Serb officer for allegedly assaulting police officers during a previous protest.

This stand-off follows months of turmoil over the issue car licence plates. Kosovo wants the roughly 50,000 Serbs from the north to swap their Serbian car licence plates for ones issued by Pristina. This is part of the government’s desire to claim its territory’s authority.

Pristina had announced on July 31 that the plates would be transferred within a two-month period. This triggered protests. However, it later accepted to move the implementation date to next year.

The looming switch caused protest by ethnic Serb mayors of northern municipalities and local judges, as well as 600 police officers, to force them to resign in November.

WHAT DO THE SERBS WANT?

Serbs living in Kosovo would like to establish a network of majority-Serb communities that would be more autonomous. Since 2013, Serbia and Kosovo have not made any progress on this or other issues.

What is the role of NATO and the EU?

To maintain peace in Kosovo, NATO has approximately 3,700 troops. If stability in the region was threatened, the alliance stated it would act in accordance with its mandate. Since 2008, the EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) still has 200 police officers. (Reporting by Fatos bytyci; Editing done by Paul Simao and Alexandra Hudson).