International forces (KFOR) asked Kosovo Serbs on Thursday to speed up the removal of barricades from the roads in the north of the country that they set up almost three weeks ago to protest the arrests of their compatriots.
The decision to remove trucks and heavy machinery from the roads was made after a discussion with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić late Wednesday evening in Raška, in the south of Serbia, and the first obstacles were removed this morning, thus unblocking the most frequent Merdara crossing.
The removal of the barricades in the north of Kosovo is underway, and it is expected that they will be completely removed during the evening, which would enable the opening of the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings.
In a statement published by the Belgrade media, KFOR says that it is “closely following the development of events”.
“We remain extremely cautious and ready to intervene, if necessary, in accordance with our mandate based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 from 1999,” says KFOR.
The peacekeeping forces also welcomed last night’s decision to remove the barricades.
We remind you that several trucks that were blocking the road in the place known as Shkembi and Duda in northern Mitrovica were burned during last night.
There is still no official information about their burning, and the police have not yet made an announcement, Klix.ba reports.
