North Mitrovica mayor: Security poor, basis for Ibar Bridge reopening unclear

North Mitrovica Mayor Milan Radojevic voiced strong reservations Tuesday about reopening the main bridge over the Ibar River, citing a "poor security situation" in Kosovo, particularly over the last three years. The NATO-led KFOR mission had announced a gradual withdrawal from the bridge, which divides the city into Serb and ethnic Albanian sections, citing an "improved security situation."

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Is it based solely on police reports which are, and I have to use these words, truly disappointing and ridiculous, given that they never record a single ethnically motivated incident? Those ethnically motivated incidents are being completely covered up.

Radojevic challenged KFOR's assessment, questioning the basis for their security evaluation. He criticized police reports as "disappointing and ridiculous" for failing to record ethnically motivated incidents, which he claims are being "completely covered up." As an example, he pointed to the case of Nenad Raskovic, who was assaulted but has yet to see action taken against his attackers, despite assurances of safety.

Serb representatives have repeatedly asked international envoys and KFOR for the security assessment's foundation. Radojevic highlighted that Serbs have "good reason to fear" the Kosovo Police are not equipped to protect them, their churches, or monasteries, especially with a war crimes verdict approaching. He recalled Serb List party representatives urging KFOR to increase its presence ahead of the ruling.

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Serbs have good reason to fear that the Kosovo Police are not up to the task and cannot protect us, our churches or our monasteries.

Addressing claims that reopening the bridge would end the idea of partitioning northern Kosovo, Radojevic described it as one step in a larger plan by Kosovo authorities. He believes the "ultimate goal is to unify Mitrovica and abolish the separate municipality of North Mitrovica," calling a recent decision to establish a joint board for the two municipalities "a very dangerous move."

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The ultimate goal is to unify Mitrovica and abolish the separate municipality of North Mitrovica.