|
A small group of protesters gathered a few kilometers inside
Serbia, near at least three border crossings, and were checking
whether drivers had Kosovo-issued travel documents.
"Masked extremists groups inside Serbian territory are
selectively and with a fascist approach stopping citizens who
use Serbia as transit," Kosovo's interior minister, Xhelal
Svecla, said on his Facebook page, announcing the closure of
crossings in Merdare and Bernjak.
Four other border between the Balkan neighbors remained open.
The group was protesting against Pristina's recent actions in
northern Kosovo, mainly inhabited by ethnic Serbs, which closed
Belgrade-run parallel institutions.
Some 50,000 Serbs live in that area and, like Serbia, do not
recognize Kosovo's independence. They consider Belgrade their
capital.
In the past two years, northern Kosovo has experienced its worst
ethnic tensions since the Albanian-majority country declared
independence in 2008 after a years-long guerrilla uprising
against repressive Serbian rule.
Although Kosovo is recognized by more than 100 countries, Serbia
deems it part of Serbian territory. It accuses Kosovo's central
government of trampling on the rights of ethnic Serbs and denies
accusations of whipping up strife within its neighbor's borders.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci in Merdare; Editing by William
Mallard)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
