The French television, France 24, has made a report from the north of Kosovo, while reporting on the efforts of the country’s institutions to integrate the Serbian population.
Northern Kosovo is home to a large part of the country’s Serbian minority. For a long time, this region, which is adjacent to Serbia, has functioned under the Serbian administrative system, despite Kosovo’s independence from Belgrade.
This is because the local population rejects the authority of Pristina. But since taking power in 2021, the new Kosovo government has been much tougher on Serbia and the Kosovo Serb population.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti is trying to impose the final separation from Serbia on the Serbian population of the region, writes the French medium.
Veton Elshani, deputy director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, told television that “parallel structures are the biggest problem” in that part of the country.
“We must remove these parallel structures or we must introduce them into the system”, said Elshani.
“When I came here, in November 2022, I had the impression that everything was being smuggled here. So now, that stopped. We have cut off over 20 illegal roads,” he said.
Bislim Zeka, a policeman from the Rapid Response Unit in North Mitrovica, also spoke to the French television news network.
The young policeman recalled the attack on September 24 last year, where Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed.
“It was almost a war that day,” he recalled, adding that after 12 hours the situation had improved.
“Since then, the situation has calmed down and the Kosovo Police has focused on fighting smuggling, that is, the import of products from Serbia”, he said.
Meanwhile, Zeka was patrolling by car around the border with Serbia.
On another busy road, checks are ongoing. Individuals coming from Serbia are only allowed to cross with a limited amount of money and medication. All other Serbian goods have been seized, reports France 24.
However, in the north of Kosovo some public services are connected to Serbia. This includes the hospital which the Kosovar institutions consider as an illegal parallel structure.
The French medium has also received statements from the Serbs. One of them initially complains about the issue of the dinar, while the chairman of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, who is also the director of the hospital, does the same.
“It has never been as difficult as now, not only for me, but for all the residents of the north. For example, today after work I will have to go to central Serbia to withdraw my salary in cash”, he says.
The ban on the dinar is just one measure among others in an effort to integrate the Serbian population. Starting in the summer of 2023, all Serbian imports were banned, France 24 reports.
In the north of Kosovo, many talk about permanent departure either to Serbia or elsewhere as living conditions are deteriorating. Thousands of people have already left in just a few months, the television reports.
