The road near the Merdare border crossing between Serbia and Kosovo was blocked on the Serbian side on Friday afternoon.
Two cars, one displaying a Serbian flag on the passenger window, and several individuals were seen positioned in the middle of the road leading to the border crossing into Kosovo, as reported by Radio Free Europe.
As previously announced, roads are also expected to be blocked at two other border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo – Jarinje and Bërnjak – as well as near the crossing between Kosovo and Montenegro, at Kula.
Rasha Rojević, head of the Association of Citizens of the Kosovo-Mitrovica District, one of eight organizations organizing the blockades, stated earlier that this is a “selective blockade,” meaning they will only allow travelers with Serbian documents to cross the border from the Serbian side.
On Wednesday, Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora (MPJD) urged Kosovo citizens and the diaspora to avoid border crossings between Kosovo and Serbia during their transit travels.
Last week, the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti closed five parallel Serbian institutions in four Serb-majority municipalities, stating they were operating in violation of the country’s laws and constitution.
In some of the buildings previously used by these parallel institutions, plaques have recently been placed indicating that they will now serve as offices for some of Kosovo’s ministries and their departments.
Employees of these parallel institutions have protested for two days against their closure.
The closure of these parallel institutions followed earlier measures this year, which included the banning of the Serbian dinar and the closure of some branches of the Serbian Post in the north.
The government of Kosovo has repeatedly stated that it is working to establish law and order, especially in the Serb-majority northern Kosovo, by dismantling Serbian parallel institutions.
Prime Minister Kurti’s decisions have been harshly criticized as “unilateral and uncoordinated” by the international community, which has warned that these moves could heighten tensions.
In 2022, Serbs in the north blocked roads leading to border crossings between Kosovo and Serbia after the arrest of a former Serbian officer of the Kosovo Police. Those blockades were removed after several weeks.
Source: Sinjali
