2022–2024 North Kosovo Crisis

North Kosovo crisis
	Jarinje Brnjak North Mitrovica Pristina Merdare Zvečan Banjska
Date	31 July 2022 – 1 January 2024
Location	North Kosovo and Merdare border crossing; spillover into Serbia
Status	Kosovo Serbs withdraw from Kosovo government institutions; Kosovo Serbs barricade roads from 10–30 December 2022; Serbian boycott of local elections; ethnic Albanian mayors elected in all four North Kosovo municipalities in April 2023; Kosovo takes control of the Serb-controlled municipal offices by force, causing a civil disturbance; Kosovo bans imports from Serbia on 14 June after 3 police officers are captured by Serbian forces; 30 Serb paramilitary members enter Kosovo on 24 September, killing 1 officer and injuring 2 others; Kosovo Serbs convert their licence plates to Kosovar ones in November and December 2023; ending the issuance of Serbian licence plates in Kosovo; Mutual recognition of all licence plates as of January 2024; ending of the sticker regime established after the previous crisis;
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Units involved
Casualties and losses

Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, signed an agreement with Serbia in 2011 that determined the use of license plates in North Kosovo. This agreement was supposed to change license plates from the ones that were issued by Serbia to neutral ones. The agreement for the change was extended in 2016 and expired in 2021, which led to a crisis in 2021 that ended with an agreement to terminate the ban of Kosovo-issued license plates in Serbia.

After a Kosovo announcement that Serbian citizens who enter Kosovo will receive entry and exit documents, a number of barricades were created in North Kosovo on 31 July 2022 but were removed two days later after Kosovo announced that it would postpone the ban on license plates issued by Serbia. In August 2022, unsuccessful negotiations regarding license plates were held, although the ID document dispute was solved. A proposed agreement, dubbed the "German-French proposal" by the media, would be the basis of consultations beginning in January 2023.

Albin Kurti declined to postpone the deadline for license plates and instead announced a phased implementation that would run from November 2022 until April 2023. Before this began, a number of Kosovo Serb police officers, mayors, judges, and Serb List members of parliament resigned from government institutions. Kosovo and Serbia negotiated again in November 2022 and they had found an agreement on 23 November 2022 which settled that license plates that Serbia issued would continue to be in use in North Kosovo.

Kosovo formally signed an application to seek candidate status for European Union membership on 14 December 2022, its impending signature resulted in a number of barricades being set up in North Kosovo on 10 December; they were dismantled on 30 December. In Serbia, far-right groups staged protests in support of Kosovo Serbs. In December 2022, Serbia submitted a request to Kosovo Force for the deployment of up to 1,000 Serbian military and police forces in Kosovo, which ended up being rejected in January 2023.

In April local elections were held, boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Based on an extremely low number of votes, ethnic Albanian mayors were elected. On 26 May 2023, Kosovo took control of the North Kosovo municipal buildings by force, to enable the newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors to physically assume office. A civil disturbance occurred, and Serbia put its armed forces on alert. The decision of Kosovo to use force was condemned by the United States and the EU. With mayors unable to perform their duties, in July Kosovo announced that new mayor elections will be held.

From 1 January 2024 Serbia implemented the 2011 agreement and recognised Kosovo license plates.

Background

In 1991, Kosovo Albanians proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of Kosova, with Albania only recognizing it as an independent state. The aftermath of the Kosovo War led to the United Nations establishing a governance in Kosovo and NATO establishing the Kosovo Force (KFOR). Kosovo then proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008; Serbia did not recognize its independence. North Kosovo, a majority Serb region in Kosovo, is also largely opposed to independent Kosovo and prior to the 2013 Brussels Agreement it refused to acknowledge and recognize its independence; in a 2012 referendum, 99% of voters in North Kosovo, with a 75% turnout, rejected the institutions of Kosovo, although the referendum was rejected by Serbia and Kosovo. According to the Brussels Agreement, the Community of Serb Municipalities was to be formed by 2016, although the government of Kosovo froze the deal in 2015, with the Constitutional Court declaring it as unconstitutional.

An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo was concluded on the use of license plates in 2011. Up to that point, Serbia issued Serbian license plates for North Kosovo, although after the agreement the license plates were changed to neutral ones. This agreement was extended in 2016 and was valid until September 2021. After the expiration of the agreement, a crisis occurred and it lasted until October 2021 when another agreement was reached, which effectively ended the ban of Kosovar license plates in Serbia. This agreement was initially intended to be temporary, although in April 2022, the agreement was extended for a further period.

Timeline

2022

July

A number of Kosovo Serb civilians in North Kosovo began forming barricades on 31 July after the announcement that citizens of Serbia who enter Kosovo will receive documents for entry and exit. This led to KFOR sending troops to patrol the streets, while the Kosovo Police ended up closing the border crossings at Jarinje and Brnjak. Nikola Selaković, then-minister of foreign affairs of Serbia, claimed that Albin Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, was "preparing hell in the coming days" for Serbs who live in Kosovo. It was also reported that air raid sirens were turned on in Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica. Roads were blocked near Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings.

Later that day, the ministry of defence of Serbia stated that "the Serbian Army did not cross the border into Kosovo", amid reports that it did enter Kosovo. Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, also stated that he would want the ban to be postponed. He added that "if they don't want to keep the peace, Serbia will win"; Kurti accused Vučić and Petar Petković, the director of the office for Kosovo and Metohija, for being responsible for the unrest. According to the government of Serbia, one Serb was wounded at the Jarinje border crossing, although the government of Kosovo denied that and stated that only some shooting occurred. Additionally, one gunman also fired on the Kosovo Police.

August

After negotiations with the diplomatic representatives of the United States and the European Union, the government of Kosovo announced on 1 August that it would temporarily postpone the ban on license plates that were issued by Serbia, after stating the decision a day prior. This agreement was welcomed by Josep Borrell, the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Miroslav Lajčák, the European Union Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. On the same day, Balkan Insight reported that social media users spread disinformation about a "full-scale war". A day later, KFOR confirmed that the barricades that were put up on 31 July were removed, after which the border crossing was opened again for use.

The Kosovo Police reported that one of their patrols was attacked with fire on 6 August near the border. Opposition political parties in Kosovo accused Kurti of "scaring investors about a possible new conflict with Serbia"; Kurti denied the accusations and instead blamed Russia and Vladimir Putin, accusing them of spreading disinformation. At a joint news conference and negotiations with Kurti and Vučić, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, stated that "NATO urges restraint but stands ready to intervene if needed". A day later, Borrell met with Kurti and Vučić; Borrell stated that the meeting ended without an agreement, but that the talks would also resume in the following days. On 19 August, NATO deployed further KFOR forces in North Kosovo for peacekeeping purposes. Additionally, Vučić stated that KFOR forces should "do their job" and vowed to "defend Kosovo Serbs if NATO failed to do so".

Borrell announced that the ID document dispute was settled on 27 August. It was announced that Serbia agreed to abolish entry and exit documents for Kosovo ID holders while Kosovo committed to refrain from implementing such measures for Serbian ID holders. Vučić stated that he was "very happy that we found a solution", while Igor Simić, the vice president of the Serb List, stated that "this was the victory of Serbian diplomacy". Kurti also praised the agreement, but received criticism from opposition parties in Kosovo due to allegedly continuing the policy of his opponent Hashim Thaçi. Political parties in Serbia, such as the People's Party (Narodna) and Dveri, criticized the agreement.

September

The agreement, which was signed on 27 August, started being implemented on 1 September. Ana Brnabić, the prime minister of Serbia, visited North Mitrovica on 5 September where she met with representatives of the Serb List. During her speech, she stated that she would be willing to "compromise in the interest of peace and stability". On the same day, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, urged Vučić and Kurti to "move past differences at a moment of crucial importance for security". In a speech to the National Assembly of Serbia on 13 September, Vučić stated that "a realistic solution should be offered for Kosovo, but Serbia will not recognize its independence".

A proposed agreement that was sent by Lajčák, Jens Plötner [de] and Emmanuel Bonne, associates of Scholz and Macron respectively, was leaked on 19 September. A day later, NATO announced that it would send more KFOR forces in case of new tensions. The ministry of internal affairs of Kosovo confirmed on 21 September that cars with license plates that were issued by Serbia will be considered to be unregistered after 1 November.

October

In early October, Kosovo and Serbia confirmed the existence of the proposed agreement. Vučić stated that according to the proposed agreement, Kosovo would receive membership in the United Nations, while Serbia in exchange would receive a sped up accession to the European Union. Radio Free Europe disputed this claim and instead claimed that the agreement includes "development of good relations on the basis of equal rights, recognition of national symbols, special arrangement for the Serb community and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, deepening cooperation at all levels, an agreement on all prior agreements and that Serbia will not oppose Kosovo's membership in any international organization". Osmani stated that the proposed agreement is "a good basis for talks" but that "we never said that the document as such without any changes can be acceptable for Kosovo". The media has dubbed the agreement as "German-French proposal".

Gabriel Escobar, the U.S. State Department special envoy for the Balkans, stated on 20 October that Kosovo should postpone the deadline. Goran Rakić, the leader of the Serb List, met with Vučić on 27 October. During a press conference, Rakić stated that "if Kosovo starts enforcing the confiscation of vehicles and license plates, we will use all means against it" but assured that "all democratic and peaceful means" would be only used. Kurti declined to postpone the deadline, although on 28 October he announced a phased implementation of the change of license plates up to 21 April. He also added that cars with license plates that were issued by Serbia will be "reprimanded, then fined, and then forced to attach probationary plates to their cars".

November

The phased implementation began on 1 November. A day later, Nenad Đurić, the director of the Regional Police Directorate for North Kosovo, stated that the police in North Kosovo would not implement the decision on the re-registration of license plates that were issued by Serbia to the ones that are issued by Kosovo. On 5 November, hundreds of Kosovo Serb police officers, mayors, judges, and Serb List members of parliament withdrew from government institutions in protest. In response, Kurti, Borrell, and Christopher R. Hill, the United States ambassador to Serbia, stated that "withdrawing is not the answer to the crisis", while Vučić accused Kurti of ignoring the Brussels Agreement; Kurti stated three days prior that the Community of Serb Municipalities does not exist. On 6 November, a protest that was organized by the Serb List was held in North Mitrovica. Mass resignations of Kosovo Serbs continued to take place after the resignations on 5 November, after which Kurti accused Serbia of "trying to destabilize Kosovo". As a response, NATO deployed more KFOR peacekeeping troops.

Ivica Dačić, now-minister of foreign affairs of Serbia, stated on 6 November that the proposed agreement is "unacceptable" and claimed that the agreement "starts from the position that Kosovo is independent". Kurti and Vučić met with Macron and Borrell in France on 11 November where they discussed about the crisis. Borrell said that Kurti and Vučić did not reject the proposed agreement and that Kosovo Serbs should return to the government institutions, while he also urged Kurti to form the Community of Serb Municipalities. Vučić also accused Germany and United Kingdom of allegedly backing Kurti. Following the meeting, Osmani announced that local elections will be held in four municipalities in North Kosovo in December 2022; the election was later postponed to April 2023. Kurti and Vučić met again with Lajčák and Borrell to discuss about the implementation of license plates on 21 November. They failed to reach an agreement, although Kurti soon after announced that he had accepted the proposal from the United States to postpone the application of the measure to punish car owners who have not changed license plates that were issued by Serbia for two days. A day later, another series of talks were held during which an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was reached. Borrell stated that Kosovo and Serbia would now "concentrate on normalizing their relations", while Petković, who was one of the negotiators, stated that license plates that were issued by Serbia would continue to be in use in North Kosovo. On the same day, two anti-government protests were held in North Mitrovica and Gračanica.

Amidst the crisis, the ministry of defence of Serbia claimed that "several drones have entered Serbian airspace from Kosovo over past three days" on 2 November. Vučić ordered to "eliminate" any drones that enter the Serbian airspace and placed the Serbian Army on "high alert". The ministry of defence of Serbia also claimed that a "commercial drone" was destroyed near army barracks in Raška, although Armend Mehaj, the minister of defence of Kosovo, denied that any drones from Kosovo entered the Serbian airspace.

December

A barricade in North Kosovo on 12 December 2022

A protest was held in Belgrade on 12 December 2022 in support of Kosovo Serbs

Kosovo Serbs held an anti-government protest near Zvečan on 22 December 2022

Kurti appointed Nenad Rašić as the minister of communities and returns on 1 December, a position which was held by Rakić until his resignation on 5 November. Serb List claimed that his appointment was "unconstitutional", while Vučić called Rašić the "worst Serbian scum" during a press conference. During the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana on 6 December, Vučić and Osmani received an updated version of the proposed agreement. Additionally, Osmani officially announced that Kosovo would apply to join the European Union in December 2022; Kosovo formally signed an application to seek the candidate status for European Union membership on 14 December, with Vučić claiming that Kosovo violated the Washington Agreement by signing the application.

On 8 December, Petković stated that Serbia would consider deploying 1,000 Serbian military forces to Kosovo, citing content of the Article 4 and Annex 2, Article 6 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, due to claims that the Regional Operational Support Unit (ROSU) allegedly raided North Mitrovica. The government of Kosovo denied that ROSU entered North Mitrovica, stating that "it was the police, and not some other unit". On the same day, Kosovo Police reported that a group of armed people attacked one of their police officers. A day later, Brnabić agreed with Petković and accused KFOR of "failing to protect Serbs" from an alleged harassment of Kosovo Serbs. Osmani described the consideration as "an act of aggression". On 10 December, Vučić stated that he will send a request to KFOR in order to deploy military and police forces in Kosovo, although he also added that he "knows that this request will be rejected". Escobar stated on 13 December that "the United States is against Serbia sending military forces to Kosovo". Serbia sent a request to KFOR for the deployment of 1,000 Serbian military and police forces on 16 December. A number of barricades began forming after an arrest of Dejan Pantić, a former police officer of Serb ethnicity, on the same day. It was reported that the barricades were seen at Leposavić and Zvečan and that air raid sirens were also turned on. Kosovo Police then announced that border crossings at Jarinje and Brnjak would be closed. Xhelal Sveçla, the minister of internal affairs of Kosovo, stated that Pantić was one of the suspects who attacked police officers in the days preceding the formation of the barricades; Pantić was sentenced to a house arrest on 28 December. A day later, a stun grenade was thrown at a car that belonged to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), although there were no reported injuries. Borrell and NATO condemned the attack, with Borrell also stating that the barricades should be removed. On the same day, Kurti asked KFOR to guarantee "freedom of movement" after accusing demonstrators of blocking the roads, while Vučić vowed to "maintain peace". The protests remained peaceful while schools in North Kosovo were temporarily closed.

An ultranationalist protest in support of Kosovo Serbs was held in Belgrade on 12 December; demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Kosovo is Serbia" and burned Kosovo flags. The protest was attended by far-right groups such as Dveri, People's Patrol, and Serbian Right. On the same day, Borrell announced that the European Union would reinforce EULEX, which is tasked with patrolling North Kosovo. After a meeting with Kurti on 13 December, Lajčák said that the "barricades should be removed with a political agreement, rather than with bulldozers", while Escobar said that he expects an agreement regarding the Community of Serb Municipalities. People's Patrol and other far-right groups staged another protest on 18 December, although this time at the Jarinje border crossing. The demonstrators were stopped by KFOR after they tried to go through the border crossing. Kosovo Serbs organized a mass protest near Zvečan on 22 December. At the protest, Rakić demanded the government to "release all arrested Serbs and to withdraw the Kosovo Police from North Kosovo". A shooting occurred on 25 December at Zubin Potok after Kosovo Police allegedly attempted to remove barricades from a nearby road; Kosovo Police denied this, however KFOR confirmed that some shooting did occur near their patrols. Shortly after, more barricades were formed near North Mitrovica and the Merdare border crossing, while Miloš Vučević, the minister of defence of Serbia, announced that the Serbian Army was put up "on the highest level of alert", with the order coming from Vučić. Due to the barricades, the government of Kosovo closed the Merdare border crossing on 28 December. A day later, Kosovo Serbs agreed to start dismantling the barricades after an agreement that was reached a day prior; they were removed by 30 December. Caroline Ziadeh, the head of UNMIK, welcomed this decision, while the "increased combat readiness" of the Serbian Army was also abolished. Border crossings were also re-opened.

2023

January

On 8 January, it was announced that KFOR declined Serbia's request to deploy up to 1,000 Serbian military and police forces in Kosovo. Kurti and Osmani met with Derek Chollet, the counselor of the United States Department of State, on 11 January, and two days later, Chollet met with Vučić. Chollet stated that "Serbia and Kosovo should normalize relations" and that "in the end, Serbia will have to recognize some of Kosovo's sovereignty", while "Kosovo should give ethnic Serbs more autonomy". After consultations on 20 January, Lajčák, Escobar, Plötner, Bonne, and Francesco Talo, the diplomatic advisor to prime minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, expressed their support for the "French-German proposal", while Lajčák commented that the "formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities is crucial". On 23 January, the Kosovo Police shot at a car on the Mitrovica-Leposavić highway, wounding one Serb; Kosovo Police claimed that the car previously "hit a police car, putting the life of a police officer in direct danger".

February

After negotiations with Lajčák on 6 February, Kurti announced that he would accept the French-German proposal, stating that "it would be a good basis for further negotiations". Additionally, Kurti stated that "the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities will be only possible after mutual recognition from Serbia". On 27 February 2023, an agreement was verbally accepted by Kosovar prime minister Albin Kurti and Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić which would lead towards a signed agreement.

March

A plan, the Ohrid Agreement, setting out a plan to advance towards normalization was agreed on 18 March 2023.

April

On 10 April, a Serb civilian was shot and wounded while driving near a Kosovo Police checkpoint. The police initially denied the shooting had occurred, but hours later, four officers were arrested and remanded in custody for 48 hours—one for opening fire and three for not reporting the incident. In protest of recent events, the Serb population of North Kosovo boycotted the local elections of 23 April 2023, which were originally supposed to take place the previous December but were postponed. Kosovar election officials set up shipping containers next to roads and used them as makeshift polling stations guarded by heavily-armed members of the Kosovo Police. Of 45,000 eligible voters, only 1,567 ballots were cast, representing a turnout of 3.47 per cent—the lowest in Kosovo's history. Despite the low turnout, U.S. officials announced they would recognize the results. As a result of the boycott, ethnic Albanian mayors were elected in all four municipalities. The Vetëvendosje party of Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavić, while candidates from the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo were declared the winners in Zvečan and Zubin Potok.

May

On 26 May 2023, Kosovo police took control of the municipal buildings in Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić to allow the newly elected mayors – with whom ethnic Serbs had refused to cooperate – to assume office. A week earlier, in North Mitrovica, the transition was handled peacefully. Protesters had gathered in front of the municipal buildings. A civil disturbance took place in Zvečan, during which the protesters unsuccessfully tried to stop the police from escorting the mayor inside. Ten protesters were treated for light injuries and tear gas inhalation, while five police officers received minor injuries. The flag of Serbia was removed from all four municipal buildings and replaced with the flag of Kosovo. Serbia declared that its armed forces have raised the level of combat readiness and have been moved closer to the border. Kosovar authorities' use of force to protect the mayors was condemned by the United States and the EU.

On 29 May 2023, clashes erupted in northern Kosovo leading to injuries to 25 KFOR peacekeepers from Hungary and Italy. Up to 50 ethnic Serb protestors were also injured.

June

On 13 June, Kosovo police entered Zvečan and arrested local Serb leader Milun Milenković – accusing him of organizing Serb protests – leading to riots which left three police officers injured. The next day, Serbian police arrested three Kosovo police officers, claiming that they crossed into Central Serbia, Kosovo denied the allegation, instead accusing Serbian police of entering Kosovo and kidnapping the officers. As a result, Kosovo announced a ban on the entry of vehicles with Serbian license plates and goods. Despite the ban, it was reported that Serbian vehicles were still being allowed to enter after going through tightened border controls, something which Kurti himself acknowledged in a press conference on 15 June. On 26 June, Serbia released the three police officers and let them back into Kosovo.

On 29 June, Kosovo declared two Serb groups – Northern Brigade and Civil Defense – terrorist organizations, although the Serb List denied the existence of either. The United States and the EU condemned the unilateral nature of Kosovo's decision.

July

On 11 July, Kosovo announced a one-quarter reduction of special police forces in front of the Northern municipal buildings, as well as new mayoral elections in North Kosovo.

On 31 July, The hospital in North Mitrovica announced that they are facing a shortage of food and medical supplies due to the closure of border crossings with Serbia, which was their main supplier, further warning that they could soon face a humanitarian disaster.