NATO Seizes Kosovo Borders as Tensions Rise

Ethnic Serbs Set Up Roadblocks to Protest Measure

Tensions over the ethnic Serbian northern portion of Kosovo continue to rise today, with NATO’s military seizure of border crossings adding fuel to the fire and convincing locals to set up roadblocks in protest.

The latest incidents began on Monday, when Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci ordered ethnic Albanian police to seize the border crossings from the locals, saying the move was in keeping with “international standards.

At issue were efforts by the Kosovo government to prevent the locals from trading with neighboring Serbia, as the local police were largely allowing commerce to continue despite the Thaci government’s efforts to stop it, an effort to punish both the local Serbs and Serbia for perceived slights.

Now NATO has seized the border crossings, after skirmishes between Kosovar Albanian police and Serbian government border police. The Serbian government was seeking a meeting with the United Nations over the matter, but was rebuffed by the UN Security Council.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.