Kosovo Demolishes Structures at Gazivode Lake, Igniting Serbian Fury

Kosovo authorities have demolished 17 structures at Gazivode Lake, a site of strategic importance for northern Kosovo, labeling them as illegal constructions. This action has intensified existing ethnic tensions and drawn criticism from Serbia, whose President Aleksandar Vučić had ten years prior declared that Gazivode would not be given up.

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I said in Brussels at the time - talk about whatever you want, but we are not giving up Gazivode. We did not continue those talks afterwards, and our position has not changed.

The demolitions have significantly impacted property owners, many of whom built their structures between 1999 and 2013. These individuals often possess only Serbian documents or permits, creating a complex legal situation regarding property rights in an area where Kosovo's institutions were not fully functional during that period. The affected residents, like the Jakšić family who lost their motel after thirty years of investment, faced the demolitions with armed special police forces demanding immediate evacuation.

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Special forces entered with long barrels and, pointing their weapons at us, told us to leave the facility immediately.

Milica Andrić Rakić, executive director of the Nova Društvena Inicijativa, highlights the challenge for those with Serbian documentation, noting that Kosovo's institutions have largely ignored this "vacuum" of property rights. Political analyst Behdžet Šalja suggests that the timing and manner of the demolitions could be perceived as intentionally escalating tensions between Albanians and Serbs, especially as Kosovo authorities announce further demolition actions.

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People who built during that period mostly have only Serbian documents or permits or purchase agreements. So it is a huge problem, primarily of property, who is the heir to the property and how the rights of people who have since bought property should be treated, while Kosovo institutions did not function here. That vacuum cannot be ignored.

This situation is further complicated by past incidents, such as the demolition of garages owned by Serbs in Mitrovica, which Trepča claimed were on their land. Andrić Rakić warns that applying similar logic could lead to the demolition of significant portions of towns like Zvečan and Mitrovica. While some structures were spared, an illegally built villa belonging to Milan Radoičič was confiscated and is now used by the Kosovo police, underscoring the complex political and legal landscape surrounding Gazivode Lake.

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If there was any possibility to postpone the demolition of these objects for a certain time, then they should have tried to find another solution so as not to create the impression that someone is acting intentionally to influence the increase of tensions between Albanians and Serbs.