KFOR blocks alternative road, takes over barricade

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA KFOR troops blocked an alternative road in the village of Rajetici near Zvecan on Thursday. The road leads to the central Serbian town of Novi Pazar. KFOR blocks alternative road, takes over barricade This was the only road that trucks over three and a half tons could use to get to northern Kosovo in the last ten days. Roads across Tresava and Vucja Rupa in the municipality of Leposavic were blocked earlier. The two roads were used to transport commercial goods and foodstuffs to Zvecan, Kosovska Mitrovica and Leposavic. Leposavic Municipal Council member Zoran Milojevic told Beta news agency that “several trucks carrying perishable goods have been blocked and it is uncertain when they will be allowed to go through”. “Such behavior of KFOR, that exceeded its mandate, jeopardizes normal functioning and life of the people in northern municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said and added that KFOR’s mandate was to secure a safe environment for all citizens and not to block roads in the province. Northern Kosovo Serbs boycott the official Brnjak and Jarinje administrative crossings because Kosovo Albanian customs officers are present there. The Serbs refuse to pay customs duties because they do not recognize the Kosovo institutions. Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo has also protested against the road blocks. Italian KFOR troops took over control of a barricade in the village of Zupce on the Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribarice road around 13:30 CET on Thursday. The KFOR troops took over the barricade after the Serbs stopped a EULEX vehicle earlier on Thursday. All roads leading from Zvecan and southern Kosovska Mitrovica toward Zubin Potok are currently blocked. KFOR also blocked the Zvecan-Zubin Potok road in the village of Jagnjenica. It is still unknown whether the KFOR troops will remove the barricade in Zupce. Local Serbs told Tanjug that about a dozen EULEX vehicles carrying police officers with full riot gear came to Zupce around 13:00 CET. (Tanjug, file) Beta Tanjug

KFOR blocks alternative road, takes over barricade

This was the only road that trucks over three and a half tons could use to get to northern Kosovo in the last ten days.

Roads across Tresava and Vučja Rupa in the municipality of Leposavić were blocked earlier. The two roads were used to transport commercial goods and foodstuffs to Zvečan, Kosovska Mitrovica and Leposavić.

Leposavić Municipal Council member Zoran Milojević told Beta news agency that “several trucks carrying perishable goods have been blocked and it is uncertain when they will be allowed to go through”.

“Such behavior of KFOR, that exceeded its mandate, jeopardizes normal functioning and life of the people in northern municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said and added that KFOR’s mandate was to secure a safe environment for all citizens and not to block roads in the province.

Northern Kosovo Serbs boycott the official Brnjak and Jarinje administrative crossings because Kosovo Albanian customs officers are present there. The Serbs refuse to pay customs duties because they do not recognize the Kosovo institutions.

Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo has also protested against the road blocks.

Italian KFOR troops took over control of a barricade in the village of Zupče on the Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribariće road around 13:30 CET on Thursday.

The KFOR troops took over the barricade after the Serbs stopped a EULEX vehicle earlier on Thursday. All roads leading from Zvečan and southern Kosovska Mitrovica toward Zubin Potok are currently blocked.

KFOR also blocked the Zvečan-Zubin Potok road in the village of Jagnjenica. It is still unknown whether the KFOR troops will remove the barricade in Zupče.

Local Serbs told Tanjug that about a dozen EULEX vehicles carrying police officers with full riot gear came to Zupče around 13:00 CET.