Serbia - Kosovo Tensions Rising

BBC: Serbia-Kosovo train row escalates to military threat

Serbia has warned it will defend "every inch" of what it claims as its territory in neighbouring Kosovo.

President Tomislav Nikolic accused Kosovo of seeking a war, after a train painted in Serbian colours and the words "Kosovo is Serbia" was prevented from crossing the Kosovan border.
Kosovo saw the train as a deliberate provocation.

As tensions grew, Mr Nikolic said that he would be willing to send the army to defend Serbs in Kosovo, if necessary.

Kosovo, historically a province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008. It is recognised by the US and most EU countries but not by Serbia or its ally Russia.

The train - heralded as an important transport link by Serbia - was the first direct link between the Serbian capital, Belgrade, and Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo, since 2008.
Many of the remaining Serbs in Kosovo live around Mitrovica.

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More News On Growing Serbia - Kosovo Tensions

Kosovo stops Serbian train crossing border in move declared 'act of war' -- The Independent
Serbia warns of Kosovo intervention amid train dispute -- DW
Serbia says Kosovo wants war as neighbors row over Serb nationalist train -- Business Insider/Reuters
"If Serbs are killed, we'll send army to Kosovo" - president -- B92
Serbian Leader Accuses Kosovo of ‘Wanting War’ After Train Is Turned Back -- AP
Sparks On The Tracks: Kosovo, Serbia Spar Over Train Stopped At The Border -- NPR
Train Saga: Tensions Rising in Balkans as Serbia Accuses Kosovo of 'Wanting War -- Sputnik
Serbia wants to annex part of Kosovo using 'Crimea model': president -- Reuters
Kosovo accuses Serbia of planning to seize slice of state -- International Business Times

Kosovo Serbs Vote Against Independence And Pristina's Rule

Serbs In Kosovo Reject Independence, Pristina's Governance -- Christian Science Monitor

Serbs living in northern Kosovo overwhelmingly rejected the state's independence in a referendum, voting against accepting rule from Albanian-dominated Pristina.

Serbs in Northern Kosovo rejected the fledgling state’s independence in an overwhelming vote this week. The vote indicates the frustration and alienation felt by the Serbian minority in Kosovo, which they see as part of Serbia.

A remarkable 99.7 percent of voters voted “no” to accepting rule from the ethnic-Albanian dominated institutions of Pristina, the Kosovan capital, with fewer than 70 ballots in favor. But despite the unequivocal result – reminiscent of a North Korean “election” but almost certainly fair – the vote is extremely unlikely to move this frozen conflict any closer to resolution. The Serbian government, anxious to move closer to the European Union, opposed the vote. This has drawn criticism from the international community (including the EU), which fears it could ramp up tensions in the region.

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More News On Serbs In Kosovo Voting To Reject Kosovo Rule

Referendum results: voters say 'no' to Kosovo institutions -- SETimes
Serbs in Kosovo Reject Ethnic Albanian Rule -- Wall Street Journal
Referendum of discord -- Voice of Russia
Northern Serbs Vote 'No' to Kosovo -- Balkan Insight
Defiant Serbs hold referendum to reject Kosovo rule that could affect Serbia’s path to EU -- Washington Post/AP

My Comment: Serb - Kosovar relations are poisonous in northern Kosovo. The overwhelming sentiment in the Serb parts of Kosovo is one of zero allegiance to the Pristina government, and in turn the rulers in Pristina have zero feelings towards the Serbs in the north. The best solution is to split Kosovo .... but no one wants to go there. The only ones who can influence the situation are the Europeans themselves .... but in Europe today the focus is on the financial/debt crisis and not on a Christian-Muslim conflict that has been ongoing in the Balkans for centuries.

Tensions Continue Between Serbs And NATO Forces In Northern Kosovo

NATO Clashes With Serbs In Northern Kosovo -- Deutsche Welle

NATO peacekeepers have clashed with Serbs manning a roadblock in northern Kosovo. It's the latest in a series of incidents as Serbs in the region continue to resist the country's ethnic Albanian administration.

NATO claims that 21 of its soldiers suffered injuries during clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo amid an ongoing dispute over border management.

The incidents occurred around midnight local time on Thursday when dozens of troops from NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) attempted to dismantle a Serb-manned roadblock at Dudin Krs, near the town of Zvecan.

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More News On Tensions Between Serbs And NATO Forces In Northern Kosovo

21 KFOR soldiers injured at barricade -- B92
21 NATO Soldiers Injured In Kosovo Serb Violence -- Eurasia Review
21 NATO soldiers injured in northern Kosovo conflict -- Xinhuanet
Nato peacekeepers injured in clashes with local Serbs in Kosovo -- Irish Times
Northern Kosovo: Serbs make their last stand -- RT

Serbia - Kosovo Talks Collapse

Serbs Walk Out Of EU-Moderated Talks with Kosovo -- Voice of America

The Serbian delegation walked out of European Union-mediated talks with Kosovo in Belgium Wednesday due to heightened tension in the region.

EU diplomats say the Serbs were not ready to proceed after talks had been postponed Tuesday following a clash between NATO peacekeepers and ethnic Serbs at a Kosovo-Serbia border crossing. Four peacekeepers and 16 ethnic Serbs were hurt in the clashes.

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More News On An Increase In Unrest Between Kosovo And Serbia

Kosovo-Serbia talks off after renewed clashes -- BBC
Serbia-Kosovo Talks Called Off Over Renewed Border Clashes -- RTT News
Serbia-Kosovo talks break down after renewed clashes -- Deutsche Welle
Serbia-Kosovo talks collapse after clashes at the border -- European Voice
Kosovo-Serbia talks canceled amid violence -- UPI
Ethnic Serbs, NATO troops hurt in Kosovo clash -- Reuters
Kosovo-Serbia border clash leaves several hurt -- BBC
NATO peacekeepers, Serbs wounded in Kosovo -- AP
US condemns violence in Kosovo -- AFP

Tensions On The Kosovo - Serbia Border Continues

NATO Moves To Calm Kosovar-Serb Border Tensions -- Christian Science Monitor

NATO is sending hundreds of reinforcements to bolster its peacekeeping forces after border violence has flared between Kosovo and Serbia.

NATO is sending several hundred German and Austrian troops to Kosovo to buttress peacekeeping forces there after border violence left a Kosovar policeman dead and inflamed tensions with Serbia.

Fighting erupted after Kosovar special police units in armored cars – operating at night late last month – swept into two border control stations to assert a ban on Serb products. Now, European Union officials are calling for calm and NATO has reinforced its peacekeepers.

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More News On NATO Trying To Calm Border Violence Between Serbia And Kosovo

U.N. urged to step into Kosovo unrest -- UPI
Northern Kosovo: no resolution in sight -- SETimes
NATO demands extra soldiers for Kosovo -- AHNews
Nato sends more troops to Kosovo after border unrest -- BBC
NATO activates reserve force for Kosovo amid tension with Serbia -- Stars and Stripes
Kosovo's president favors dialogue -- UPI
Kosovo PM Stands By Trade Ban -- Eurasia Review
Kosovo Serbs facing food, medicine shortages: report -- AFP
Serbia warns of humanitarian woes in Kosovo -- IOL News
Interview: Kosovo's President Defends Decision To Control Northern Border -- Radio Free Europe
Kosovo Govt Adviser: Tension with Serbia Could Lead to War -- Novinite

NATO Tries To Defuse Tensions On Kosovo Border Posts

Nato Takes Over Kosovo Border Posts After Clashes -- BBC

Nato has deployed peacekeepers in the north of Kosovo after a border post with Serbia was burnt down and a Kosovo policeman killed.

Serbian nationalists in Kosovo attacked the post on Wednesday after Kosovo's government sent police to enforce a ban on imports from Serbia.

Border posts in the area, which rejects Kosovan independence from Serbia, had been staffed by ethnic Serb police.

Kosovo's government suspected them of turning a blind eye to banned imports.

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More News On Tensions In Kosovo On The Borders With Serbia

NATO Takes Control at Kosovo Borders -- New York Times
Serb Police, NATO Boost Forces After Kosovo Violence -- New York Times/Reuters
NATO peacekeepers can fire if attacked in Kosovo -- Stars and Stripes/AP
NATO Takes Control of Troubled Kosovo Border Posts -- Voice of America
Kosovo Firebombing Underscores New Ethnic Tensions -- New York Times
EU urges Serbia, Kosovo to defuse tensions -- CTV
Kosovo: UN mission voices deep concern at recent clashes in north -- UN News Centre
UN Council rejects Serbia calls for Kosovo meet -- AFP
New Violence in Kosovo Could Pose a Quandary for an Overstretched NATO -- Tony Karon, Time
Historical EU Error To Blame for Kosovo Strife -- Olaf Ihlau, Spiegel Online

Tensions Rise Between Serbia And Kosovo

Kosovo Serbs Set Fire to Border Post After Govt. Police Briefly Seize It -- Voice of America

A group of Kosovo Serbs has set fire to a border post in the country's north to protest the brief takeover of the site by special police units of the ethnic Albanian government.

Officials in neighboring Serbia and an Associated Press reporter said the minority Serb protesters torched the crossing on Wednesday. Earlier, Kosovo's special police withdrew from that crossing and a second border post after having seized control of them in an operation that began late Monday and continued on Tuesday.

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More News On Tensions On The Kosovo - Serbia Border

Ethnic Serbs set fire to Kosovo border post -- Reuters
Kosovo forces withdraw from Serb border posts -- Euronews
Kosovo tense after deadly clash on Serbian border -- BBC
Kosovo Premier Backs Border Seizure, Rejects EU Criticism -- Bloomberg
Kosovo PM backs deadly move into Serb-run north -- AP
Serb president calls for Kosovo violence to stop -- Reuters
Kosovo and Serbia battle over customs stamps -- Deutsche Welle
Kosovo, Serbia trouble sparks concern -- UPI

A Serbia - Kosovo Reconciliation?

EU: Kosovo-Serbia Talks Off To 'Positive Start' -- Radio Free Europe

The European Union today said that talks between Serbia and Kosovo are off to a positive start in Brussels, after the start of a two-day EU-brokered meeting between the parties.

In a statement, the EU called on both sides to set aside sovereignty issues and focus on a dialogue to "remove obstacles that have a daily impact on people's lives, to improve cooperation, and to achieve progress on the path to Europe."

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More News On Serbia - Kosovo Talks

Serbia, Kosovo tip-toe to reconciliation -- AFP
Kosovo-Serbia talks got off to "a positive start," EU says -- M&C
Serbia, Kosovo in 'historic' talks -- Al Jazeera
High hopes as Serbia and Kosovo meet to talk -- Sydney Morning Herald
Serbia and Kosovo hold talks -- Financial Times

My Comment: They still have a very long way to go before any form of reconciliation is possible .... but this is a start.