Kosovo unrest

Kosovo’s Government yesterday accused neighbouring Serbia of trying to destabilise the country as ethnic Serbs blocked roads and conducted other incidents in the north apparently in a dispute over vehicle license plates and identity cards. Officials in Kosovo had decided to resume the practice of requiring vehicles that enter from Serbia to replace Serbia license plates with Kosovo plates. The reverse is required by Serbia for vehicles from Kosovo that go to Serbia. Kosovo also is planning to block its ethnic Serb minority from using only the Serbian identity cards when crossing the border. A Kosovo government statement said many “aggressive acts” like road-blocking and shooting in the northern areas dominated by ethnic Serbs were committed yesterday and charged that they were incited by Serbia. After discussions with European and US partners, the license plate and identity card plan was postponed until September 1, the Government said. Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising in 1998-1999 by the territory’s ethnic Albanian majority triggered a bloody crackdown by Serbs. A Nato bombing campaign to force Serbia’s troops out of Kosovo ended the war. But Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. The Nato-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo said it was monitoring the “tense” situation in northern Kosovo and said it would “take whatever measures are necessary to keep a safe and secure environment in Kosovo at all times, in line with its UN mandate”.