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Police close a parallel Serbian municipality of Skenderaj in the north

2024-10-16 20:26:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

On Wednesday, the Kosovo authorities closed a parallel Serbian municipality of Skenderaj in the north of the country, the deputy director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, confirmed for Radio Free Europe.

This parallel municipality was located in a building in North Mitrovica, to provide services mainly to members of the Serbian community from the villages of Bajë and Suhogërll from the municipality of Skenderaj.

Late on Wednesday, the Kosovo Police said that its officials had noticed during patrolling in the north "unknown persons who were visiting an office" and that after "verification of the responsible person, it was identified that this office operates as part of illegal structures and is responsible" for the municipality of Skenderaj.

She said that, by order of the prosecutor, the office was closed and evidence and other materials were seized from it, while the responsible persons will be interviewed.

"According to the authorization of the prosecutor, the police are carrying out the relevant actions for interviewing the identified persons and examining the material evidence", she said.

The closure of this parallel municipality, known as the Temporary Municipal Authority of Srbica, has been confirmed by the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, emphasizing that the workers have been "evicted" on the grounds that they engaged in "illegal and unconstitutional activities".

"Such an action is in direct opposition to all agreements and ongoing dialogue and shows that the only thing [Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurti knows is to lead the policy of closures and blockades," she said.

The Kosovo authorities consider the institutions working in the Serbian system in Kosovo illegal and began to close them in early 2024, prompting major opposition from local Serbs, as well as criticism from the international community, which believes that the decisions such "uncoordinated" can fuel tensions.

In addition to parallel Serbian institutions in the north and in other parts of the country such as Prizren, Peja, Suharekë, Istog, Klinë, Rahovec and Dragash, the Kosovar authorities have also closed branches of the Serbian Post in the north of the country.

Kurti constantly insists that the actions of his Government are not directed against anyone and that they follow the Constitution and laws of Kosovo.

The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia claims that with the continuation of the closure of these institutions, the "institutional and political repression against the Serbian people in Kosovo by Albin Kurti" continues.

"However, he is wrong if he thinks that Belgrade will ever give up on the request for the formation of the ZSO (Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority) and that it will be able to escape its obligations or that Belgrade will ever leave people without the help and affiliation that was paid to them and that will be paid to them", the announcement states.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, presented a series of measures for the Serbs from Kosovo, among them the payment of benefits for the employees of closed institutions in Kosovo.

He had said that, after the closure of parallel Serbian institutions by the Kosovo authorities, about 6,000 people were fired.

Vucic emphasized at the time that "Serbian institutions will not be abolished or closed", adding that a registration office will be opened in the Serbian towns of Rudnica and Ribariq along the border with Kosovo, which will offer services to members of the Serbian community in Kosovo. REL