Kosovo enclave Serbs block road in protest

Villagers in the Serb enclave of Prilužje in Kosovo today held a one-hour protest gathering blocking a road leading to the construction site of a local bridge.

Izvor: B92

Tuesday, 16.08.2011.

09:45

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Villagers in the Serb enclave of Priluzje in Kosovo today held a one-hour protest gathering blocking a road leading to the construction site of a local bridge. The new bridge over the Sitnica River would connect the enclave with a number of nearby villages populated by ethnic Albanians. Kosovo enclave Serbs block road in protest Citing past incidents, local Serbs fear that provocation and violence against them would escalate once the bridge was completed. Serbs in Kosovo south of the Ibar River live in a number of isolated enclaves. Late on Monday, representatives of Priluzje protesters met with the commander of the NATO-led troops in the province, Erhard Buehler. He told them that while he could not stop the construction of the bridge, he could ensure KFOR's permanent presence there in order to provide security. The deputy president of the nearby Vucitrn municipality, Miodrag Stolic, told B92 that Serbs were afraid for their safety, and noted that while a previous bridge was open they faced "serious problems" caused by ethnic Albanians. "Buehler stressed that the bridge was in our interests. We are aware of that and aware of the fact he personally advocated the building of the bride. We do not know what his were motives yet, probably that will surface too. Our plan is to demonstrate peacefully, and we'll try to prevent the arrival of big building machinery to our side of the river," said Stolic. He noted that the protesters "cannot influence the construction on the other side of the river". "We're already facing provocations and incidents, while he (Buehler) is talking about living together with Albanians from those villages," said Stolic. Yesterday, about a thousand local Serbs gathered in Priluzje to block the road leading to the nearby village of Glavotina. (Beta)

Kosovo enclave Serbs block road in protest

Citing past incidents, local Serbs fear that provocation and violence against them would escalate once the bridge was completed.

Serbs in Kosovo south of the Ibar River live in a number of isolated enclaves.

Late on Monday, representatives of Prilužje protesters met with the commander of the NATO-led troops in the province, Erhard Buehler.

He told them that while he could not stop the construction of the bridge, he could ensure KFOR's permanent presence there in order to provide security.

The deputy president of the nearby Vučitrn municipality, Miodrag Stolić, told B92 that Serbs were afraid for their safety, and noted that while a previous bridge was open they faced "serious problems" caused by ethnic Albanians.

"Buehler stressed that the bridge was in our interests. We are aware of that and aware of the fact he personally advocated the building of the bride. We do not know what his were motives yet, probably that will surface too. Our plan is to demonstrate peacefully, and we'll try to prevent the arrival of big building machinery to our side of the river," said Stolić.

He noted that the protesters "cannot influence the construction on the other side of the river".

"We're already facing provocations and incidents, while he (Buehler) is talking about living together with Albanians from those villages," said Stolić.

Yesterday, about a thousand local Serbs gathered in Prilužje to block the road leading to the nearby village of Glavotina.

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