Kosovo’s Northern Security Sweep: An Overview

Shutdown of Serbian Institutions

On Friday afternoon, a coordinated action by Kosovo’s security forces led to the closure of buildings housing Serbian institutions across all four municipalities in Northern Kosovo. This included municipal services, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), the Pension Fund, and public utility companies. The Temporary Municipal Authority building in Mitrovica was also shut down, marking a year since the closure of similar buildings in the other three municipalities in the North. Additionally, premises believed to house relocated municipal services from previous months were also closed.

Police Actions and Findings

While Kosovo Police (KP) asserts that it was not part of the operation, it nonetheless entered the heating plant of the Clinical-Hospital Center in Mitrovica. There, they reportedly discovered a military jacket, a backpack, several magazines, two knives, and a hunting rifle case. In total, eight buildings were searched (excluding the heating plant), leading to the closure of four: two in North Mitrovica, and one each in Zvečan and Leposavić. In Zubin Potok, the KP did not find the services they were searching for.

Removal of Equipment and Symbols

From the sealed buildings, equipment and documentation, primarily computers and symbols of the Serbian state, were removed. Similar actions earlier this month included the closure of Serbian Post Offices and financial institutions, the discontinuation of the dinar currency, re-registration of vehicles from KM to RKS plates, invalidation of Serbian driver’s licenses, and a ban on the import of Serbian goods that has lasted for over a year.

Impact on Local Employment

With the departure from Kosovo institutions two years ago and the recent closures of Serbian institutions predominantly staffed by Serbs, estimates suggest that thousands in the North are now without their physical workplaces.

Government Statements and Reactions

Kosovo’s ministers, Xhelal Svecla and Elbert Krasniqi, who have frequently visited the North, stated: „There is no place for illegal work and parallel services in Kosovo,“ and celebrated the removal of Serbian institutions from Kosovo.

Despite the lack of incidents during the operation, the majority of the Serbian population in the North does not approve of such actions.

Srpska Lista’s Response

The Srpska Lista urgently addressed the public, restricting access for several local media outlets and reluctantly answering questions. They made strong accusations against the Kosovo Prime Minister and the international community, calling the latter „accomplices“ in „ethnic cleansing“ of Serbs. They demanded an urgent meeting with international agencies in Kosovo, including KFOR and Quint, which took place today.

President Zlatan Elek and his team met with Quint ambassadors, the KFOR Deputy Commander, and UNMIK Chief Caroline Ziadeh. They emphasized that the recent raid directly endangered the employment of thousands of Serbs and the provision of services for tens of thousands of Serbs and other residents of Kosovo.

Calls for Increased KFOR Presence

The Srpska Lista demands that the main Ibar Bridge remain closed to traffic and calls for a greater KFOR presence in the North to protect the Serbian population, asserting that Serbs are under attack by the Pristina regime. They advocate for peace through the engagement of all parties involved.

A similar request was previously announced by a group of non-governmental organizations and civil activists from the North.

They issued a joint appeal to the NATO mission in Kosovo, requesting that KFOR establish checkpoints in front of institutions that provide services to the majority population in the North.

In their joint appeal to KFOR, they state that the Kosovo Police has been serving the political objectives of the rulling Vetendosje Party.

They are asking KFOR to set up checkpoints in front of institutions that provide services to the Serbian population:

„Following yesterday’s violent actions by the Kosovo Police, which have been aligned with the political goals of the Self-Determination Movement, we call on KFOR to urgently establish checkpoints in front of institutions that provide services to the majority population in the North.“

KFOR responded by affirming their visible and flexible presence across Kosovo, stating that additional assests from the Multinational Specialized Unit (MSU) would be temporarily stationed at the main Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica. They added that such deployments are part of routine training to test their long-standing procedures and maintain high operational standards.

International Reactions

The Quint embassies and the EU condemned what they described as unilateral actions by the Kosovo authorities. They claimed the operation was not coordinated with them and expressed concern for the Serbian community in Kosovo. They warned Pristina that such actions would impact their relationships.

The U.S. Embassy was particularly critical, marking the first time they referred to „the Government’s continued instrumentalization of the Kosovo Police for to carry out uncoordinated actions is not consistent with Kosovo’s promises to ‘continue consultation and coordination with the international community’.”

„The United States and our international partners have consistently asked the Government of Kosovo to prioritize coordination with the international community and not to take unilateral action on issues on the agenda of the EU-facilitated Dialogue. The failure of the Government of Kosovo to be responsive to these requests reflects a real and increasing deterioration in our partnership. As we have previously noted, the Government of Kosovo’s uncoordinated actions put Kosovan citizens and KFOR soldiers at greater risk, unnecessarily escalate regional tensions, and undermine Kosovo’s reputation as a reliable international partner“, read the statement.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jim O’Brien called on Prime Minister Kurti and his government to consult and coordinate with the international community to end uncoordinated actions that negatively affect partnerships.

Regional and International Context

The recent actions by Kosovo authorities occurred amid a wave of visits by high-level Western security officials and diplomats to the region and Pristina. These include CIA Director William Burns and three senior NATO officials:

• Thomas Goffus, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations
• Boris Ruge, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy
• Admiral Stuart Munsch, Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Naples

Visits have mainly focused on the triangle of Sarajevo – Belgrade – Pristina, with a prevailing message urging Pristina to avoid unilateral moves and coordinate actions regarding the North with allies.

Efforts are also underway to open the main Ibar Bridge to civilian traffic after 25 years, a move opposed by the majority population and some Western countries. The Kosovo government, while acknowledging the need for coordination, resists calls from the international community to discuss the matter exclusively in Brussels.

NATO-KFOR and EU representatives insist on discussions about previously reached agreements on opening the bridge at the next dialogue meeting, despite Pristina’s reluctance. NATO’s Thomas Goffus reiterated the alliance’s position, warning that uncoordinated actions could increase the risk of violence and jeopardize both civilian and KFOR safety.

Serbian President’s Statement

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, speaking from Prague, emphasized that the world is beginning to understand who is truly causing problems. He highlighted the condemnation of Prime Minister Kurti’s actions by Europeans and Americans and commended NATO-KFOR’s firm stance on the Ibar Bridge.

Vučić also met with several European officials, including EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajčák, during the security forum in Prague.

Serbia has called for an urgent international response to protect the Serbian population from what they describe as the „completion of ethnic cleansing“ in Kosovo and to de-escalate tensions to prevent further conflict.

In Priština: Focus on Bridge Reinforcement, Removal of Serbian Symbols, and Osmani’s Address

In recent developments, Kosovo’s media and officials are focused on two major events: the continued removal of Serbian state symbols in Northern Kosovo and the morning deployment of Carabinieri on the bridge.

Former South Mitrovica mayor Agim Bahtiri has urged the Carabinieri stationed on the bridge to „avoid provoking“ the local population.

Significant attention is also being given to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s appearance at the GLOBSEC forum in Prague. During her address, Osmani asserted that the ongoing efforts to „expand sovereignty“ are entirely „legitimate.“ Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has remained silent on these recent developments.