Situationen i krutdurken som är norra Kosovo verkar bli allt mer ansträngd. Jag är själv inte särskilt insatt i denna konflikt, men jag hoppas att det finns andra här på FB som är det och som kan bringa klarhet i situationen. Jag gör ändå ett försök till att sammanfatta den senaste tidens händelseutveckling.
Som jag har förstått det började det hela med att myndigheterna i Kosovo i somras sökte tvinga den serbiska minoriteten i norra Kosovo att byta ut sina ID-handlingar och registreringsskyltar. Detta är mycket kontroversiellt eftersom att det enligt serberna innebär att de underkastar sig Kosovos myndigheter. Som bekant erkänner inte Serbien Kosovos secession 2008. Härtill har många serber boende i Kosovo fortsatt att använda sig av serbiska registreringsskyltar och ID-handlingar.
I slutet av juli sattes den serbiska armén i beredskapsläge och Kosovo stängde gränsen. Därefter har bl.a. följande hänt.
Augusti 2022
Efter påtryckningar från EU och USA sköt myndigheterna i Kosovo upp den tilltänkta förbudet mot att använda serbiska registreringsskyltar. Några dagar senare besköts Kosovopoliser i norra Kosovo.
Kosovo police patrol attacked in volatile north
Lite senare uttalade Serbiens president Aleksandar Vučić att Serbien skulle bli nödgade att använda sig av militära medel för att skydda den serbiska befolkningen i Kosovo om den NATO-ledda KFOR-styrkan inte var vilig att göra det.
'Protect Serbs in Kosovo or we'll do it ourselves,' Vucic warns NATO
Oktober 2022
Kosovos premiärminister Albin Kurti framhärdade med förbudet mot att använda sig serbiska registreringsskyltar i Kosovo trots uppmaningar från USA och EU att inte göra det. Implementeringen av de nya reglerna sköts ändå upp till den 31 oktober.
Kosovo pushes ahead with car licensing rule resisted by Serbs
November 2022
I början av november sade en stor del av serberna i norra Kosovo upp sig från olika myndighetsjobb i protest mot förbudet mot serbiska registreringsskyltar.
Serbs in northern Kosovo quit state jobs in licence plate protest
Efter flera misslyckade förhandlingar lyckades EU tillslut förmå Kosovo att gå med på en kompromiss vari Serbien inte längre skulle utfärda nya registeringsskyltar för städer i Kosovo samtidigt som Kosovo inte skulle tvinga serber att byta ut sina registreringsskyltar.
EU defuses tensions over Kosovo car number plates
Här trodde i alla fall jag att situationen skulle lugna ner sig - men icke!
Som jag har förstått det började det hela med att myndigheterna i Kosovo i somras sökte tvinga den serbiska minoriteten i norra Kosovo att byta ut sina ID-handlingar och registreringsskyltar. Detta är mycket kontroversiellt eftersom att det enligt serberna innebär att de underkastar sig Kosovos myndigheter. Som bekant erkänner inte Serbien Kosovos secession 2008. Härtill har många serber boende i Kosovo fortsatt att använda sig av serbiska registreringsskyltar och ID-handlingar.
I slutet av juli sattes den serbiska armén i beredskapsläge och Kosovo stängde gränsen. Därefter har bl.a. följande hänt.
Augusti 2022
Efter påtryckningar från EU och USA sköt myndigheterna i Kosovo upp den tilltänkta förbudet mot att använda serbiska registreringsskyltar. Några dagar senare besköts Kosovopoliser i norra Kosovo.
Kosovo police patrol attacked in volatile north
Citat:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...th-2022-08-06/
PRISTINA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Kosovo police said one of their patrols close to the Serbian border came under fire on Saturday, in an area of the country marred by ethnic disputes and smuggling activities.
Tensions between western Balkan neighbours Kosovo and Serbia have flared recently and came to a head last week after Kosovo said it would oblige Serbs living in the north of the country and using Serbian car licence plates to apply for plates issued by Pristina institutions. The obligation has now been postponed.
Tensions between western Balkan neighbours Kosovo and Serbia have flared recently and came to a head last week after Kosovo said it would oblige Serbs living in the north of the country and using Serbian car licence plates to apply for plates issued by Pristina institutions. The obligation has now been postponed.
Lite senare uttalade Serbiens president Aleksandar Vučić att Serbien skulle bli nödgade att använda sig av militära medel för att skydda den serbiska befolkningen i Kosovo om den NATO-ledda KFOR-styrkan inte var vilig att göra det.
'Protect Serbs in Kosovo or we'll do it ourselves,' Vucic warns NATO
Citat:
https://www.euronews.com/2022/08/22/...cic-warns-nato
Serbia president Aleksandar Vucic has warned NATO that it must protect the Serbian minority in Kosovo or Belgrade will move to do it itself.
Tensions have been rising between the Balkan neighbours since Pristina declared last month that Serbian identity documents and vehicle licence plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo.
Vucic claims it's aimed at pushing Serbs out of Kosovo - something he says he won't allow.
"There will be no refugee columns, and we will save our people from persecution and pogroms if NATO doesn't want to do it," he said.*
(...)
Last month, Kosovo’s government declared that Serbian identity documents and vehicle licence plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo.
But, under apparent pressure from the West, Kurti postponed implementation of the measure for a month to 1 September, when more trouble is expected if a compromise is not reached by then.
(...)
It comes after*EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hosted talks between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo in an effort to reduce tensions.
But after they*failed to produce a breakthrough,*NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo have been deployed on main roads in its north, saying they are ready to protect the freedom of movement for all sides.
Tensions have been rising between the Balkan neighbours since Pristina declared last month that Serbian identity documents and vehicle licence plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo.
Vucic claims it's aimed at pushing Serbs out of Kosovo - something he says he won't allow.
"There will be no refugee columns, and we will save our people from persecution and pogroms if NATO doesn't want to do it," he said.*
(...)
Last month, Kosovo’s government declared that Serbian identity documents and vehicle licence plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo.
But, under apparent pressure from the West, Kurti postponed implementation of the measure for a month to 1 September, when more trouble is expected if a compromise is not reached by then.
(...)
It comes after*EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hosted talks between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo in an effort to reduce tensions.
But after they*failed to produce a breakthrough,*NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo have been deployed on main roads in its north, saying they are ready to protect the freedom of movement for all sides.
Oktober 2022
Kosovos premiärminister Albin Kurti framhärdade med förbudet mot att använda sig serbiska registreringsskyltar i Kosovo trots uppmaningar från USA och EU att inte göra det. Implementeringen av de nya reglerna sköts ändå upp till den 31 oktober.
Kosovo pushes ahead with car licensing rule resisted by Serbs
Citat:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...bs-2022-09-01/
JARINJE, Kosovo, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. NATO peacekeepers patrolled northern Kosovo on Thursday to preserve calm after Pristina announced that around 50,000 ethnic Serbs in the region would have to switch their car license plates to local ones within two months.
Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, has sought to compel Serbs to accept Pristina's authority in routine bureaucratic matters since winning independence in 2008 after nearly a decade-long uprising against Serbia's repressive rule.
Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence and Serbs in northern Kosovo consider Belgrade as their capital.
(...)
In announcing the Oct. 31 deadline for motorists to switch over Serbian license plates to those issued by Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the decision as "nothing more or less than an expression of the exercise of sovereignty."
(...)
A push last year to implement the car licensing was met with protests by the Serbs in the north, who are backed by Belgrade and live close to Kosovo's border with Serbia. Tensions flared again last month after Pristina announced the rule would go into effect on Sept. 1, prompting ethnic Serbs to set up roadblocks.
Tensions eased after Kurti, under U.S. and European Union pressure, agreed to postpone the switch.
(...)
The defence ministry in Serbia, which sees Kosovo as an integral part of Serbian territory, said on Wednesday it had stepped up training of some of its troops garrisoned near the border with Kosovo.
Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, has sought to compel Serbs to accept Pristina's authority in routine bureaucratic matters since winning independence in 2008 after nearly a decade-long uprising against Serbia's repressive rule.
Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence and Serbs in northern Kosovo consider Belgrade as their capital.
(...)
In announcing the Oct. 31 deadline for motorists to switch over Serbian license plates to those issued by Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the decision as "nothing more or less than an expression of the exercise of sovereignty."
(...)
A push last year to implement the car licensing was met with protests by the Serbs in the north, who are backed by Belgrade and live close to Kosovo's border with Serbia. Tensions flared again last month after Pristina announced the rule would go into effect on Sept. 1, prompting ethnic Serbs to set up roadblocks.
Tensions eased after Kurti, under U.S. and European Union pressure, agreed to postpone the switch.
(...)
The defence ministry in Serbia, which sees Kosovo as an integral part of Serbian territory, said on Wednesday it had stepped up training of some of its troops garrisoned near the border with Kosovo.
November 2022
I början av november sade en stor del av serberna i norra Kosovo upp sig från olika myndighetsjobb i protest mot förbudet mot serbiska registreringsskyltar.
Serbs in northern Kosovo quit state jobs in licence plate protest
Citat:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...-plate-protest
Minority Serbs in northern Kosovo say they are quitting their posts in state institutions, including the government, police and courts, to protest against the use of new vehicle licence plates issued by Pristina.
Following a meeting of Serb political representatives in the north of Kosovo, Minister of Communities and Returns Goran Rakic said he was resigning from his post in the Pristina government.
He told reporters that fellow representatives of the 50,000-strong Serb minority in the north had also quit their jobs in municipal administrations, courts, police, and the parliament and government in Pristina.
(...)
Kosovo’s main backers, the United States and the European Union, have urged Kurti to postpone implementing the car plates ruling for another 10 months but he has refused.
(...)
Blerim Vela, chief-of-staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, tweeted that Belgrade “is coercing and inciting Kosovo Serbs to abandon their jobs in Kosovo institutions”.
In Serbia, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said her government “stands by our brave and proud people in Kosovo”.
Following a meeting of Serb political representatives in the north of Kosovo, Minister of Communities and Returns Goran Rakic said he was resigning from his post in the Pristina government.
He told reporters that fellow representatives of the 50,000-strong Serb minority in the north had also quit their jobs in municipal administrations, courts, police, and the parliament and government in Pristina.
(...)
Kosovo’s main backers, the United States and the European Union, have urged Kurti to postpone implementing the car plates ruling for another 10 months but he has refused.
(...)
Blerim Vela, chief-of-staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, tweeted that Belgrade “is coercing and inciting Kosovo Serbs to abandon their jobs in Kosovo institutions”.
In Serbia, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said her government “stands by our brave and proud people in Kosovo”.
Efter flera misslyckade förhandlingar lyckades EU tillslut förmå Kosovo att gå med på en kompromiss vari Serbien inte längre skulle utfärda nya registeringsskyltar för städer i Kosovo samtidigt som Kosovo inte skulle tvinga serber att byta ut sina registreringsskyltar.
EU defuses tensions over Kosovo car number plates
Citat:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63739053
Kosovo and Serbia have agreed steps to defuse a row over Serbian car number plates, which had threatened to trigger violence.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted "We have a deal!" and said both sides would strive to normalise relations. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
Kosovo had threatened to start fining drivers from Thursday if they continued using number plates issued by Belgrade.
But Brussels talks resulted in a deal.
Mr Borrell said Serbia would stop issuing licence plates with Kosovo cities' denominations, and Kosovo would not demand that vehicles with Serbian plates be re-registered.
On Monday he expressed exasperation when Kosovo refused to accept the EU's proposed deal.
But Kosovo returned to negotiations under pressure from its key ally, the United States, the BBC's Balkans correspondent Guy Delauney reports.
He says the agreement sounds identical to the EU proposal on the table earlier this week.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted "We have a deal!" and said both sides would strive to normalise relations. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
Kosovo had threatened to start fining drivers from Thursday if they continued using number plates issued by Belgrade.
But Brussels talks resulted in a deal.
Mr Borrell said Serbia would stop issuing licence plates with Kosovo cities' denominations, and Kosovo would not demand that vehicles with Serbian plates be re-registered.
On Monday he expressed exasperation when Kosovo refused to accept the EU's proposed deal.
But Kosovo returned to negotiations under pressure from its key ally, the United States, the BBC's Balkans correspondent Guy Delauney reports.
He says the agreement sounds identical to the EU proposal on the table earlier this week.
Här trodde i alla fall jag att situationen skulle lugna ner sig - men icke!
