Post by Fender on Feb 14, 2008 17:07:14 GMT -5
Kosovo independence bid raises tensions By DUSAN STOJANOVIC, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 32 minutes ago
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Serbia - Young men clad in black track suits keep a close watch over the bridge that divides rival Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, just days before the province's anticipated declaration of independence from Serbia.
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Security officials say the men are plainclothes police sent from Serbia's capital, highlighting the government's determination to defend the enclave.
The Ibar River divides Kosovska Mitrovica into two parts — the north side overwhelmingly Serb and the south side almost entirely ethnic Albanian. The Serb minority has threatened to split the areas they dominate from the rest of Kosovo if the province declares independence, possibly on Sunday.
"If the Albanians decide to cross the bridge en masse amid their independence euphoria, we are waiting. There will be bloodshed," said a young Kosovo Serb who identified himself only as Milos, pointing to the far side of the bridge where French soldiers manned a checkpoint.
Serbia wants to keep hold of Kosovo — considered the cradle of its medieval statehood and religion — although it has had no control over the province since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign ended a crackdown against ethnic Albanian rebels and forced Belgrade to pull out.
The U.S. and most EU nations support statehood for the U.N.-run province, where 90 percent of the population of 2 million is ethnic Albanian. However, traditional Serbian ally Russia opposes statehood for Kosovo.
Almost 10 years after the U.N. took control of the province, the second-largest town in Kosovo remains bitterly divided and prone to violence. NATO-led peacekeepers have achieved little more than to enforce the effective division of the city of some 100,000 people by separating the hostile sides.
Serbs in Kosovo faced revenge attacks after the war, and their enclaves and Serbian Orthodox churches were targeted in rioting in 2004 that left 19 people dead.
On Thursday, the Belgrade government told the Kosovo Serbs they have every right not to recognize Kosovo's independence and will remain Serbian citizens.
A Kosovo Albanian lawmaker said Serbia's government resolution would have no bearing on Kosovo's intention to declare independence.
"What Serbia does is irrelevant," said Vlora Citaku. "Serbia can only invalidate decisions of its own assembly. Kosovo has its own path and one that is internationally supported."
Before the men in black track suits arrived a few weeks ago, Milos used to be a "bridge guard" — the name for local Serbs who would take turns watching the bridge 24 hours a day to make sure no ethnic Albanians from the south of Mitrovica try to reach the north.
He and other Serbs watching the bridge, mostly from a rock music cafe Dolce Vita a few yards away, say they are ready to spoil the independence party by ethnic Albanians.
"Their independent state stops here, in front of Dolce Vita," said Mladen Cvetic, 31, standing bellow a poster saying "Independent Kosovo, No Way."
"I don't expect any violence," Cvetic said. "There will be a lot of provocation from the south, like celebratory gunfire and fireworks, but that's all," he said. "The Albanians will try to be at their best behavior, to show the world that they deserve to be independent," he added.
Mitrovica Serbs only rarely venture to the Albanian-populated south of the city, while a few hundred Albanians still live in the Serb part of the town, mostly in isolated shantytowns along the Ibar River.
Hilmi Beqiri, an ethnic Albanian, was chased out of his apartment a few streets away from the garbage-infested "Bosnjacka Mahala" settlement where he now lives.
"I expect to return to my home after Kosovo becomes independent," he said.
1 hour, 32 minutes ago
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Serbia - Young men clad in black track suits keep a close watch over the bridge that divides rival Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, just days before the province's anticipated declaration of independence from Serbia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Security officials say the men are plainclothes police sent from Serbia's capital, highlighting the government's determination to defend the enclave.
The Ibar River divides Kosovska Mitrovica into two parts — the north side overwhelmingly Serb and the south side almost entirely ethnic Albanian. The Serb minority has threatened to split the areas they dominate from the rest of Kosovo if the province declares independence, possibly on Sunday.
"If the Albanians decide to cross the bridge en masse amid their independence euphoria, we are waiting. There will be bloodshed," said a young Kosovo Serb who identified himself only as Milos, pointing to the far side of the bridge where French soldiers manned a checkpoint.
Serbia wants to keep hold of Kosovo — considered the cradle of its medieval statehood and religion — although it has had no control over the province since a 1999 NATO bombing campaign ended a crackdown against ethnic Albanian rebels and forced Belgrade to pull out.
The U.S. and most EU nations support statehood for the U.N.-run province, where 90 percent of the population of 2 million is ethnic Albanian. However, traditional Serbian ally Russia opposes statehood for Kosovo.
Almost 10 years after the U.N. took control of the province, the second-largest town in Kosovo remains bitterly divided and prone to violence. NATO-led peacekeepers have achieved little more than to enforce the effective division of the city of some 100,000 people by separating the hostile sides.
Serbs in Kosovo faced revenge attacks after the war, and their enclaves and Serbian Orthodox churches were targeted in rioting in 2004 that left 19 people dead.
On Thursday, the Belgrade government told the Kosovo Serbs they have every right not to recognize Kosovo's independence and will remain Serbian citizens.
A Kosovo Albanian lawmaker said Serbia's government resolution would have no bearing on Kosovo's intention to declare independence.
"What Serbia does is irrelevant," said Vlora Citaku. "Serbia can only invalidate decisions of its own assembly. Kosovo has its own path and one that is internationally supported."
Before the men in black track suits arrived a few weeks ago, Milos used to be a "bridge guard" — the name for local Serbs who would take turns watching the bridge 24 hours a day to make sure no ethnic Albanians from the south of Mitrovica try to reach the north.
He and other Serbs watching the bridge, mostly from a rock music cafe Dolce Vita a few yards away, say they are ready to spoil the independence party by ethnic Albanians.
"Their independent state stops here, in front of Dolce Vita," said Mladen Cvetic, 31, standing bellow a poster saying "Independent Kosovo, No Way."
"I don't expect any violence," Cvetic said. "There will be a lot of provocation from the south, like celebratory gunfire and fireworks, but that's all," he said. "The Albanians will try to be at their best behavior, to show the world that they deserve to be independent," he added.
Mitrovica Serbs only rarely venture to the Albanian-populated south of the city, while a few hundred Albanians still live in the Serb part of the town, mostly in isolated shantytowns along the Ibar River.
Hilmi Beqiri, an ethnic Albanian, was chased out of his apartment a few streets away from the garbage-infested "Bosnjacka Mahala" settlement where he now lives.
"I expect to return to my home after Kosovo becomes independent," he said.