Most roads in north Kosovo open for traffic

Even though all the barricades between Zvecan and the Jarinje administrative crossing have been removed, the checkpoint is still closed. A barricade that has been built between the Kosovo crossing and the crossing on the central Serbian territory represents a problem, said reports. Most roads in north Kosovo open for traffic According to reports, none of the barricades in other municipalities have been removed and it is not very likely that they will be removed by Friday morning. Northern Kosovo citizens are still keeping watch at the barricade on the main bridge over the Ibar River in Kosovska Mitrovica and they have also gathered in the villages of Rudare, Zupce and Jagnjenica, but roads are open for traffic. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed Thursday that the only barricade on the road towards Raska located close to the administrative line with northern Kosovo was dismantled on Thursday. “There are no more barricades on this road since Serbs on the other side of the administrative line were ready to remove it,” he told journalists in Belgrade. The minister added that the road would not be passable on Thursday, but that intensive work on normalization of traffic is underway. Barricades had been removed from the village of Jagnjenica earlier and the road is open for traffic while the citizens are standing around 50 meters away from a KFOR checkpoint. One lane is open for traffic in the village of Rudare and the local Serbs are taking shifts keeping watch in a tent that has been set up in the other lane of the road. Logs are blocking one traffic lane in the village of Zupce on the road leading from southern Kosovska Mitrovica to Zubin Potok while the other lane is open for traffic. The only barricade that is completely blocking the road in Leposavic is the one between Jarinje and Rudnica. Vehicles coming from Kosovska Mitrovica are using one lane at the entrance to Leposavic. The citizens are monitoring the situation and making sure that Kosovo customs and border police officers are not using the road. There is only one complete barricade in the Zvecan municipality, in the village of Dudin Krs which has been concreted and reinforced. The barricade is more than 20 meters wide and more than three meters high and it is making impossible for vehicles to go from southern Kosovska Mitrovica to Zvecan. A barricade in the village of Banje in front of the Brnjak administrative crossings is still standing. Vehicles are using alternative roads to reach central Serbia. KFOR set up two more checkpoints in Janjenica and Jarinje on Monday and their troops are controlling vehicles and passengers’ documents. The road leading through the village of Jagnjenica (Tanjug) KFOR welcomes removal of barricades KFOR has welcomed the removal of barricades from the village of Jagnjenica near Zubin Potok and pointed out that this was a step in a good direction. KFOR said in a release that it was their mandate to ensure a safe environment and freedom of movement for everyone, including EULEX. “Use of violence is unacceptable and attacks on KFOR troops are especially unacceptable,” it is said in the statement. KFOR added that unconditional freedom of movement was not and could not be a topic of the negotiations. “All representatives in northern Kosovo are aware of that because they were told several times during negotiations with them, including the yesterday’s meeting,” KFOR pointed out.

Most roads in north Kosovo open for traffic

According to reports, none of the barricades in other municipalities have been removed and it is not very likely that they will be removed by Friday morning.

Northern Kosovo citizens are still keeping watch at the barricade on the main bridge over the Ibar River in Kosovska Mitrovica and they have also gathered in the villages of Rudare, Zupče and Jagnjenica, but roads are open for traffic.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić confirmed Thursday that the only barricade on the road towards Raška located close to the administrative line with northern Kosovo was dismantled on Thursday.

“There are no more barricades on this road since Serbs on the other side of the administrative line were ready to remove it,” he told journalists in Belgrade.

The minister added that the road would not be passable on Thursday, but that intensive work on normalization of traffic is underway.

Barricades had been removed from the village of Jagnjenica earlier and the road is open for traffic while the citizens are standing around 50 meters away from a KFOR checkpoint.

One lane is open for traffic in the village of Rudare and the local Serbs are taking shifts keeping watch in a tent that has been set up in the other lane of the road.

Logs are blocking one traffic lane in the village of Zupče on the road leading from southern Kosovska Mitrovica to Zubin Potok while the other lane is open for traffic.

The only barricade that is completely blocking the road in Leposavić is the one between Jarinje and Rudnica.

Vehicles coming from Kosovska Mitrovica are using one lane at the entrance to Leposavić. The citizens are monitoring the situation and making sure that Kosovo customs and border police officers are not using the road.

There is only one complete barricade in the Zvečan municipality, in the village of Dudin Krš which has been concreted and reinforced. The barricade is more than 20 meters wide and more than three meters high and it is making impossible for vehicles to go from southern Kosovska Mitrovica to Zvečan.

A barricade in the village of Banje in front of the Brnjak administrative crossings is still standing. Vehicles are using alternative roads to reach central Serbia.

KFOR set up two more checkpoints in Janjenica and Jarinje on Monday and their troops are controlling vehicles and passengers’ documents.

KFOR welcomes removal of barricades

KFOR has welcomed the removal of barricades from the village of Jagnjenica near Zubin Potok and pointed out that this was a step in a good direction.

KFOR said in a release that it was their mandate to ensure a safe environment and freedom of movement for everyone, including EULEX.

“Use of violence is unacceptable and attacks on KFOR troops are especially unacceptable,” it is said in the statement. KFOR added that unconditional freedom of movement was not and could not be a topic of the negotiations.

“All representatives in northern Kosovo are aware of that because they were told several times during negotiations with them, including the yesterday’s meeting,” KFOR pointed out.