Serb Protests in Kosovo’s North Continue

Serbs continued their protests on Monday in Kosovo’s northern town of Mitrovica over the reconstruction of ethnic-Albanian houses.

Kosovo’s Police has used tear gas as some 100 local Serbs were to approaching the neighborhood where Albanian houses are being reconstructed, said Kosovo’s Police spokesperson, Besim Hoti.

The protest started at 11 a.m., but was dissolved without injuries and the situation is reported to be calm. 

The Serbs are protesting the reconstruction of Albanian houses in the Serb dominated north of the ethnically divided town. They say that Kosovo’s government is not giving them the same opportunity to reconstruct former Serb owned property in mainly Albanian parts of the country.

The government insists that supporting the return of those displaced during the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia is a priority and says that it is assisting returnees regardless of their ethnic background.

It points that the Ministry for Returnees and Communities has allocated 1 million euros to assist returnees to the municipalities of Klina, Prizren, and Vushtrria. The project is primarily focused in offering housing assistance and is also supported by the EU and the UN’s Refugee Agency.

The Municipality of Working Groups for Returnees in the western town of Klina says in the latest months it has received an increasing number of requests from Serb families to return.

“Three more families have (recently) received the keys to their homes. Therefore, a total of 100 Serb families have returned in the town of Klina,” says one of its officials involved in the return process. Before the 1999 conflict with Serbia, the town used to populated by a large number of local Serbs.

Halil Bimbashi, from the Kosovo Police, says the security situation is also calm now in the town.

Milorad Sarkovic, a Kosovo Serb from Klina, also said in a recent interview that the security situation is stabilising and he and his fellow Serbs are feeling more secure.