Calm in Kosovo after weekend tensions over car number plates, IDs

MITROVICA, Kosovo

Kosovo's city of Mitrovica was relatively calm on Monday morning after weekend tensions over the issue of new car number plates.

Kosovo on Sunday decided to postpone the implementation of a new law until Sept. 1 which would make it mandatory for everyone, including Serbs living in Kosovo, to have a Kosovo ID card and license plate.

Thousands of people living in majority Serb areas of Kosovo use car number plates issued by Serbian authorities and defy Kosovan authorities.

Kosovo, which is predominantly inhabited by Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared its independence in 2008. It is recognized by more than 100 countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany and Türkiye. Serbia has not recognized this and continues to lay claim to the territory.

Protesters in Mitrovica, a Serb majority town, parked lorries full of gravel at the Jarinje and Bernjak border-crossing points on Sunday.

However, this morning only two vehicles belonging to NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) were observed on the streets indicating that tensions are dissipating.

According to local media reports, air raid sirens were heard on Monday along the Kosovan-Serbian border.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called for dialogue Sunday to resolve issues with Kosovo.