Today marks eight years since the demolition of the illegal wall near the Ibar Bridge in North Mitrovica, which was removed on February 5, 2017.
The wall, built in late 2016, stood for two months before being taken down by two excavators in just one hour.
At the time, EU officials emphasized that no new barriers should be erected, and plans were announced to open the bridge, connecting the northern and southern parts of the city.
The head of the EU Office in Kosovo at the time, Natalia Apostolova, was among the first to oversee the demolition, calling it “an important moment for Mitrovica and its citizens.”
The removal of the wall was seen as a key step toward easing tensions and improving freedom of movement between the Albanian-majority south and Serb-majority north of Mitrovica.
