Rising tensions

Helicopters are being used to ferry European Union security officials and supplies to two border crossing in the north of Kosovo after minority Serbs blocked the roads leading to the crossings in anger over Pristina's efforts to control them. Heavily armed troops from NATO's KFOR force have sealed off the two crossings in an attempt to preempt any violence.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the "process has successfully begun … and Kosovo police and customs officials, together with [the EU's rule of law mission] EULEX and KFOR are now at the two border crossings."

The government in Pristina is attempting to assert control of the largely lawless northern region, populated by a large ethnic Serb minority that still pledges allegiance to Belgrade three years after Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia.

After Pristina dispatched special police to take over the Jarinje and Bmjak crossing to enforce a ban on Serbian imports, violence broke out that left one ethnic Albanian policeman dead. Serbs drove the security forces back and NATO was forced to intervene.

Now with EULEX forces in control all traffic between Kosovo's north and Serbia has been halted.

Charged atmosphere

Belgrade has warned Kosovo against taking over the crossings, but appealed for calm on Friday.

"I am hoping Kosovo Serbs will preserve wisdom and avoid almost certain provocations," Serbian government spokesman Milivoje Mihajlovioc to the news agency Reuters.

Kosovo's Thaci echoed the call for calm.

"I appeal to all citizens for peace and restraint," Thaci said after a cabinet session in Pristina, adding that the moves by the Kosovo government did not target any ethnic group.

Thus far there have been no reports of violence or injury, but tensions remain high.

UN warning

Ahead of NATO's handover of control to the EU and Kosovo, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Kosovo and Serbia to show restraint.

"I call on all concerned to refrain from unilateral actions which could escalate tensions in the area," said Ban.

The appeal from the UN chief came ahead of a Thursday evening meeting of the UN Security Council, requested by Serbia and Russia, on the issue.

After the meeting, Peter Wittig, Germany's ambassador to the UN, urged Serbia to "moderate [its] rhetoric, lower tensions and return to a dialogue to resolve their issues."

Wittig also warned Serbia that "the populist game of nationalism" was hard to reconcile with its aspirations to join the European Union.

Author: Holly Fox, Gabriel Borrud (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler