Serbia and Kosovo: the conflict will not calm down – an overview “Is that a joke?” – Flyer against harassment of women causes outrage in France

The flag of Serbia stretches down a Kosovo street like a giant anaconda. It symbolizes the ongoing conflict between the two states: to this day Serbia does not want to recognize the young state of Kosovo. It was once a Serbian province and the Serbs cannot shake this thought.

Again and again the conflict flares up and causes violent riots.

Just like recently in the north of Kosovo in the town of Zvečan: demonstrators held a huge Serbian flag there. Hundreds of people of Serbian descent gathered in front of the city hall and protested against the Albanian mayors who took office last week – resulting in several violent clashes.

Watson explains in six points exactly what happened and what to do next.

This is how the recent clashes happened

The reason is the election of mayors of Albanian descent. In April, Serbian officials resigned at Belgrade’s insistence. Militant Serbs then attacked Kosovo’s special police escorting the newly elected mayor of Albanian descent to office in the town of Zvečan.

The NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR, which is supposed to provide security under a UN mandate, moved in to protect city offices in Zvečan and two other places.

Then the situation escalated completely.

Serbs rallied again to protest the new mayors and demand the departure of the Kosovo police. The KFOR unit used tear gas to disperse the protests. After that the situation worsened. Serbs threw stun grenades and stones at the soldiers and attacked them with batons. 30 soldiers and about 50 Serb civilians were injured.

With a total of 80 injured, the current riots mark a high point in the violent conflict of recent years in the small Balkan country.

That is why the Serbs have something against the new mayors

The reason for the Serbs’ aversion to the new politicians: the mayors are Albanians and arose from elections that were boycotted by the Serbian side at Belgrade’s insistence. As a result, turnout was less than four percent. The Serbian officials had resigned because the Kosovo government in Pristina finally wanted to enforce that the Serbs in the north of Kosovo use Kosovar number plates and not Serb ones.

Background: In Kosovo today the majority of the population is ethnic Albanian. In the more rural north of the country on the border with Serbia, on the other hand, there are about 50,000 Serbs – and they want nothing to do with the state of Kosovo.

Kosovo was once part of Serbia and Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, the country came under UN administration and declared independence in 2008. However, to date, neighboring Serbia has not recognized the state of Kosovo. Other countries, including Serbia’s allies China and Russia, also do not recognize Kosovo’s independence.

How is Russia responding to the conflict?

The Kremlin stands with Serbia. “We undoubtedly support Serbia and the Serbs. We believe that the legitimate rights and interests of Kosovo Serbs should be respected and protected,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

Russia will continue to monitor the situation closely. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had previously called the escalation of the conflict in Kosovo alarming. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the EU not to blame the Serbs for the violence.

Given the tensions in Kosovo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is once again questioning the country’s independence. He also emphasizes that the Serbian armed forces have been prepared and are at the border of the country. “Decisions are the responsibility of the President of Serbia, the Serbian people and Serbs fighting for their rights in the north of the autonomous province of Kosovo,” Lavrov said on Twitter.

Background: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić does not support EU sanctions against Russia and never signed an EU-brokered framework agreement with Kosovo in February.

That’s what the West says about the tensions

Western states are stepping up pressure on the warring factions. Germany and France are calling for new elections in four predominantly Serbian municipalities to calm the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) mediate between Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Serbian President Vučić on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPG) summit in Moldova.

“It is now important that all those involved do everything they can to ensure that there is a de-escalation,” says Scholz (SPD). It is also important that local citizens can “participate in the elections”. The goal is to “get out of this spiral”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to “take immediate steps to defuse tensions”. Speaking on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo, Norway, he pointed out that the conflict was jeopardizing both countries’ efforts to move closer to the EU. Both Serbia and Kosovo want to join the EU.

US ambassador Jeff Hovenier announces a “punishment” for the Kosovars: they will not be allowed to participate in the US military maneuvers Defender Europe 2023. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that 700 more soldiers will be deployed. To date, 3,800 KFOR soldiers are stationed in Kosovo.

Stoltenberg had consulted with Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief. He wrote on Twitter: “Pristina and Belgrade must now participate in the EU-led dialogue as this is the only path to peace and normalization.” According to Stoltenberg, Kosovo must de-escalate and not take unilateral, destabilizing steps.

This is how Kosovo wants to continue

Kosovo’s president Vjosa Osmani says to demands from Germany and France she is “ready” to “consider” this possibility. She informed her interlocutors that Kosovo law allows re-election. For this, one-fifth of the voters in a district must start a corresponding procedure. But this requires “participation on their part”.

Her Serbian colleague Vučić was asked “not to interfere, not to put pressure on the citizens”. But there was “no response from him,” says Osmani. However, she hopes that citizens can “use their rights, which are guaranteed by the constitution in Kosovo”.

Is there a danger of war?

Although Vučić has put the Serbian forces on high alert, experts say everything is safe. Accordingly, the Serbian president must not risk open confrontation with NATO in Kosovo.

At the same time, the tension in the south helps him to keep power stable at home – also in light of the recent mass protests in the capital Belgrade against his authoritarian rule.

With material from the AFP news agency