Crisis in Kosovo: Serbia notifies UN, EU and NATO

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Serbia's state officials have turned to the international community after the Kosovo police, KPS, moved to take over administrative checkpoints in the north. The northern part of Kosovo is predominantly inhabited by Serbs who do not recognize the authority of the government in Pristina, and the top officials have warned that violence there could escalate. Crisis in Kosovo: Serbia notifies UN, EU and NATO Belgrade team chief in the ongoing Belgrade-Pristina talks, Borko Stefanovic, said that "everything will be done to unblock roads and regain control over the checkpoints". He and Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic arrived at the barricaded road near Jarinje early on Tuesday, and met with the KFOR commander. Bogdanovic previously said that the attempt to take over the Jarinje and Brnjak checkpoints by the Kosovo Albanian authorities was "a senseless act that endangered stability". "This is a senseless act that we suspect was perhaps organized in concert with EULEX," Bogdanovic told Beta news agency. EULEX is the European Union mission deployed in Kosovo. Bogdanovic also explained that he, as well as President Boris Tadic and Mirko Cvetkovic "contacted the European Commission, the UN, NATO's southern command - which is in charge of KFOR, and other international bodies". He also explained that Serbs in the north started to spontaneously gather tonight in order to prevent the takeover of the checkpoints. The situation is described as tense, and with potential to escalate. Bogdanovic and Stefanovic were in northern Kosovo in order to "defuse the situation". KPS units are this morning at the Brnjak administrative checkpoint, but were prevented from reaching Jarinje by residents who gathered to block roads. Tanjug news agency was reporting that KFOR troops are holding the Brnjak checkpoint blocked. Nearby Zubin Potok Mayor Srdjan Djurovic told reporters that there were no incidents at the scene, that Serbs were protesting peacefully and that KFOR was preventing them from reaching the checkpoint itself. Tanjug is also reporting that gunfire from automatic weapons was heard on the Leposavic-Raska road near Jarinje a little after 03:00 CET. Sirens sounded the alarm in the town of Zvecan this morning, when local Serbs mistakenly thought that Italian KFOR vehicles belonged to Kosovo police. Previously, Serbian state broadcaster RTS was reporting that isolated shooting from automatic weapons was heard in Kosovska Mitrovica this morning. A KFOR spokesman told Tanjug news agency that the NATO-led forces were "taking measures with the goal of calming the situation" at the control points of Brnjak and Jarinje, and that they "separated members of KPS and protesting Serbs" near the town of Zvecan. Meanwhile, an EULEX spokesperson was quoted as saying that the attempt to take over the checkpoints was "in no way an EULEX action", and that the mission was "monitoring the developments along with KFOR". A Pristina-based RTK reporter at Brnjak said that some 70 members of the KPS were receiving backup in the shape of KFOR soldiers. At the same time, EULEX and KPS were blocking the main bridge in the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica. No incidents were reported from that location. According to Albanian language media reports, the attempt to take over the checkpoints by force came in order to implement the decision of the government in Pristina to ban Serbian goods from entering Kosovo. The same media are also reporting that German General Erhard Buhler, who commands KFOR, stated that he was informed about the KPS move. The province's ethnic Albanians in February 2008 unilaterally declared independnece, but Serbia rejected the proclamation. Several rounds of EU-sponsored talks have been taking place since March of this year between representatives of governments in Belgrade and Pristina. B92 Beta Tanjug

Crisis in Kosovo: Serbia notifies UN, EU and NATO

Belgrade team chief in the ongoing Belgrade-Priština talks, Borko Stefanović, said that "everything will be done to unblock roads and regain control over the checkpoints".

He and Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović arrived at the barricaded road near Jarinje early on Tuesday, and met with the KFOR commander.

Bogdanović previously said that the attempt to take over the Jarinje and Brnjak checkpoints by the Kosovo Albanian authorities was "a senseless act that endangered stability".

"This is a senseless act that we suspect was perhaps organized in concert with EULEX," Bogdanović told Beta news agency.

EULEX is the European Union mission deployed in Kosovo.

Bogdanović also explained that he, as well as President Boris Tadić and Mirko Cvetković "contacted the European Commission, the UN, NATO's southern command - which is in charge of KFOR, and other international bodies".

He also explained that Serbs in the north started to spontaneously gather tonight in order to prevent the takeover of the checkpoints.

The situation is described as tense, and with potential to escalate. Bogdanović and Stefanović were in northern Kosovo in order to "defuse the situation".

KPS units are this morning at the Brnjak administrative checkpoint, but were prevented from reaching Jarinje by residents who gathered to block roads.

Tanjug news agency was reporting that KFOR troops are holding the Brnjak checkpoint blocked.

Nearby Zubin Potok Mayor Srđan Đurović told reporters that there were no incidents at the scene, that Serbs were protesting peacefully and that KFOR was preventing them from reaching the checkpoint itself.

Tanjug is also reporting that gunfire from automatic weapons was heard on the Leposavić-Raška road near Jarinje a little after 03:00 CET.

Sirens sounded the alarm in the town of Zvečan this morning, when local Serbs mistakenly thought that Italian KFOR vehicles belonged to Kosovo police.

Previously, Serbian state broadcaster RTS was reporting that isolated shooting from automatic weapons was heard in Kosovska Mitrovica this morning.

A KFOR spokesman told Tanjug news agency that the NATO-led forces were "taking measures with the goal of calming the situation" at the control points of Brnjak and Jarinje, and that they "separated members of KPS and protesting Serbs" near the town of Zvečan.

Meanwhile, an EULEX spokesperson was quoted as saying that the attempt to take over the checkpoints was "in no way an EULEX action", and that the mission was "monitoring the developments along with KFOR".

A Priština-based RTK reporter at Brnjak said that some 70 members of the KPS were receiving backup in the shape of KFOR soldiers.

At the same time, EULEX and KPS were blocking the main bridge in the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica. No incidents were reported from that location.

According to Albanian language media reports, the attempt to take over the checkpoints by force came in order to implement the decision of the government in Priština to ban Serbian goods from entering Kosovo.

The same media are also reporting that German General Erhard Buhler, who commands KFOR, stated that he was informed about the KPS move.

The province's ethnic Albanians in February 2008 unilaterally declared independnece, but Serbia rejected the proclamation. Several rounds of EU-sponsored talks have been taking place since March of this year between representatives of governments in Belgrade and Priština.