Northern Kosovo Serbs remove Zvečan barricade

A barricade in the northern Kosovo municipality of Zvecan was removed on Wednesday about 11:00 CET, allowing traffic to be normalized. A convoy of about 15 KFOR vehicles was therefore also allowed to go through. Northern Kosovo Serbs remove Zvecan barricade Local Serbs removed the barricades after being assured by KFOR soldiers that the convoy was not heading towards the Jarinje administrative checkpoint but to Camp Nothing Hill in Leposavic instead. The peacekeeping convoy attempted to reach the very north of Kosovo on Tuesday evening but was intercepted, two hours later the KFOR soldiers drove back to their base. The citizens set the barricades on the Zvecan-Kosovska Mitrovica road and near so called “East Bridge” on their own initiative on Tuesday, blocking traffic between Zvecan and Kosovska Mitrovica. “Several trucks and buses blocked KFOR vehicles’ way around 22:15 CET when they unloaded the gravel. The situation is calm and police are also present,” journalist Zeljko Tvrdisic told B92 earlier on Wednesday. There are also barricades in the town of Leposavic where citizens are letting vehicles use only one lane in order to prevent KFOR from transporting customs equipment to the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative checkpoints. Situation is similar at the Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribarice road in the Zubin Potok municipality. A road leading from Kosovska Mitrovica to Raska was also completely blocked last night in the village of Rudare. The column of about 20 trucks and jeeps of the German KFOR had the intention to reach Leposavic via Zvecan, that is towards the Jarinje administrative crossing. In the talks with Leposavic, Zvecan and Kosovska Mitrovica mayors, the German KFOR members requested to be allowed to reach Jarinje, but the gathered Serbs did not accept this and refused to move several cargo trucks and buses that blocked the road for KFOR, who then returned to their base, Tanjug's reporter stated. Thaci: We will take over checkpoints Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has confirmed that Kosovo policemen and customs officers will take over the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings together with EULEX and KFOR on September 16. He added that the Kosovo institutions will implement the agreement on customs stamp with the EU and the U.S., not with Belgrade. “We will conduct the implementation with the international factors, not with Serbia,” Thaci told Radio Free Europe. When asked what would happen if Belgrade was not ready to implement the agreement, the Kosovo PM said that Belgrade “is completely without influence” in the process. According to Thaci, the time has come to establish control at the Brnjak and Jarinje checkpoints after the agreement which was reached with KFOR in early August. He explained that revenues from the goods coming from Serbia would go directly to Kosovo’s budget.

Northern Kosovo Serbs remove Zvečan barricade

Local Serbs removed the barricades after being assured by KFOR soldiers that the convoy was not heading towards the Jarinje administrative checkpoint but to Camp Nothing Hill in Leposavić instead.

The peacekeeping convoy attempted to reach the very north of Kosovo on Tuesday evening but was intercepted, two hours later the KFOR soldiers drove back to their base.

The citizens set the barricades on the Zvečan-Kosovska Mitrovica road and near so called “East Bridge” on their own initiative on Tuesday, blocking traffic between Zvečan and Kosovska Mitrovica.

“Several trucks and buses blocked KFOR vehicles’ way around 22:15 CET when they unloaded the gravel. The situation is calm and police are also present,” journalist Željko Tvrdišić told B92 earlier on Wednesday.

There are also barricades in the town of Leposavić where citizens are letting vehicles use only one lane in order to prevent KFOR from transporting customs equipment to the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative checkpoints.

Situation is similar at the Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribariće road in the Zubin Potok municipality.

A road leading from Kosovska Mitrovica to Raška was also completely blocked last night in the village of Rudare.

The column of about 20 trucks and jeeps of the German KFOR had the intention to reach Leposavić via Zvečan, that is towards the Jarinje administrative crossing.

In the talks with Leposavić, Zvečan and Kosovska Mitrovica mayors, the German KFOR members requested to be allowed to reach Jarinje, but the gathered Serbs did not accept this and refused to move several cargo trucks and buses that blocked the road for KFOR, who then returned to their base, Tanjug's reporter stated.

Thaci: We will take over checkpoints

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has confirmed that Kosovo policemen and customs officers will take over the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings together with EULEX and KFOR on September 16.

He added that the Kosovo institutions will implement the agreement on customs stamp with the EU and the U.S., not with Belgrade.

“We will conduct the implementation with the international factors, not with Serbia,” Thaci told Radio Free Europe.

When asked what would happen if Belgrade was not ready to implement the agreement, the Kosovo PM said that Belgrade “is completely without influence” in the process.

According to Thaci, the time has come to establish control at the Brnjak and Jarinje checkpoints after the agreement which was reached with KFOR in early August.

He explained that revenues from the goods coming from Serbia would go directly to Kosovo’s budget.