French members of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) have gained control of a road in northern Kosovo near the Brnjak crossing on the Serbian border after removing a barricade set up by local Serbs a month ago, re-opening the crossing for traffic, Serbian electronic media in Kosovo said on Thursday.
KFOR expanded the security zone around Brnjak beyond the barricade lines, it was said. Although it is open for traffic as of this morning, KFOR has been warning reporters there not to shoot any footage. Traffic is extremely low, as nearly all locals are at the barricades.
Before that, KFOR removed in Jagnjenica one of three trucks with which local Serbs had blocked access to Brnjak. The situation in Jagnjenica is calm. Earlier this morning, KFOR used tear gas a number of times to disperse at least 150 Serbs gathered there. The Serbs are sitting on the road, while KFOR troops are in a cordon with their shields down, Radio Television Serbia said.
KFOR spokesman Uwe Nowitzki told the press in Kosovska Mitrovica the operation was proceeding well and that there had been no clashes with the locals, but would not say how many barricades KFOR had removed.
Pristina's Albanian-language media said KFOR had also removed a barricade at the entry to Zupce and headed for a barricade at the other end of the village, confronting revolted local Serbs, but only verbal incidents were reported. The situation is calm but tense. Locals are sitting on the road, with their backs to the KFOR troops and disregarding a warning to leave the security zone controlled by KFOR. The locals say they are not afraid of threats and demand the KFOR convoy return to base until an agreement is reached with northern Kosovo Serbs' political representatives.
KFOR has not taken any action yet at Jarinje, the other border crossing that has been barricaded, where the situation is calm.
Serbian President Boris Tadic has reiterated his appeal to both sides to refrain from the use of force, saying the provision of supplies for KFOR units must be enabled.
Barricades were set up at Brnjak and Jarinje and the roads leading to them after the Kosovo government started deploying customs and police officers there on September 16. Local Serbs will not let Kosovo's authorities, which they do not recognise, control Jarinje and Brnjak on the Serbian border, forcing KFOR to use helicopters for the provision of supplies to its troops.
KFOR negotiated with local Serbs over the last couple of days urging them to remove the barricades, saying that otherwise its troops would do so peacefully. The deadline for removing the blocs expired at midnight on Wednesday.
