Serbia urges Kosovo Serbs to remove barriers

Kosovo closed its main border crossing with Serbia. The development came after Kosovo Serbs on their side of the border late on Tuesday used trucks and tractors to block traffic towards the crossing in the village of Merdar.

And now, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is calling on the Serbs in Kosovo to end their protests and lift the blockade of the road.

Tensions in Kosovo in recent days have revived a long-running conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

The European Union and the United States are mediating the conflict

The European Union, NATO and the United States have in recent days urged Kosovo and Serbia to calm down and mediate between the two countries.

Now the talks seem to have yielded results. On Wednesday, Serbia called on the President of Kosovo to calm down and lift the road blockade. According to Serbia’s head of the Kosovo Ministry, Petar Petković, the country has received guarantees from the European Union and the United States that Kosovo Serbs will not be prosecuted for their participation in the roadblocks.

– said Petar Petkovic, according to Reuters, we have also received guarantees that the Kosovo security forces will not come to the Serb-majority north without the consent of the KFOR leaders and representatives of the local population.

Kfor is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force with a UN mandate mandated to maintain peace and public security in Kosovo, According to the armed forces.

A conflict could break out at any time

There has always been tension between Kosovo and Serbia, which never recognized the new country that declared independence in 2008. The situation has worsened in recent weeks and many fear it. Conflict between states may break out again.

During December, ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo set up roadblocks on rural roads near the border with Serbia. Kosovo has asked the NATO-led international peacekeeping force Kfor to remove the barriers. There have also been shootings targeting KFOR and the Kosovo police.