Serbs in Kosovo set up new barricades after authorities ban Christmas entry of patriarch

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Local Serbs in northern Kosovo on Tuesday set up two new barricades after Kosovar authorities blocked Serbian Patriarch Porfirije from entering the country from neighboring Serbia ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations, according to the police.

"Criminal groups continue to block the freedom of movement by setting up barricades throughout the night in the north of the country. According to official information, two more barricades with heavy vehicles have been set up,'' said a police statement.

The new barricades – near Kosovo’s Bosniak Quarter in northern Mitrovica and in Zvecan, known as a multi-ethnic neighborhood where Serbs, Albanians, Bosniaks, and Turks live together – were set up demanding the release of a former Serbian police officer, as well an association of municipalities in Kosovo that are majority Serb.

After Kosovar officials blocked his entry from Serbia ahead of the Orthodox Christmas –observed on Jan. 7 under the Gregorian calendar – Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said that Kosovo “locked the door of his home,” adding: “I pray to God that he unlock the hearts of those who have closed it and that the love of Christmas and of the birth of the Savior touch the minds and the conscience of all people.”

Porfirije, like many Serbians, considers Kosovo to be Serbian territory, despite its declaration of independence in 2008, but in the tense atmosphere on the border, religion too can be a flashpoint.

- Situation ‘more serious every day’

Separately, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that if NATO's peacekeepers, known as KFOR and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), do not remove the barricades, the barricades will be removed by the Kosovo police in a few days.

Local media reports that Kosovo police signed an equipment rental contract with a private company for the lifting of heavy loads of up to 40 tons.

On social media, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that he would take all measures to protect ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo, near the border with his country.

''We are doing all in our power to preserve peace and stability. Unfortunately, they did not want to listen to us, or they were not very interested in hearing us, but they will continue to talk about the Serb barricades, which are a sign of discontent and of the Serb people’s struggle to be where they belong,'' said Vucic.

"The situation is getting more serious day by day, there are more and more tensions, he (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti) started threatening human victims," said Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, protesting the barring of the patriarch's traditional visit.

Kurti met with Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia, the commander of NATO's Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo (KFOR), and Lars Gunnar Wigemark, chief of the European Union's Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

According to the statement, an agreement was reached on restoring freedom of movement and no roadblocks in Kosovo.

''The common conclusion from this meeting is that freedom of movement should be restored and there should be no roadblocks,'' said the statement.

Vucic also ordered combat readiness Monday for the armed forces and security services at the highest level.

- Tensions between Serbia, Kosovo

Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Albanians, broke from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. But Serbia has not recognized the move and sees its former province as part of its territory.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have escalated since the detention of former Serbian police officer Dejan Pantic on suspicion of attacking election officials.

Protesting Pantic's detention, Kosovo Serbs have been standing guard at barricades they set up at border crossings since Dec. 10.

The European Union, NATO and the US have called for de-escalation and the removal of barricades in northern Kosovo, while Serbia has requested to deploy its army and police based on a UN resolution.