Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
Kosovo authorities have begun preparatory procedures for opening the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica to vehicle traffic. This move has met with opposition from the international community, which has called for a new discussion in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on the subject. At the same time, Kosovo Serbs have organized protests against the opening of the bridge. (here)
Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government has insisted on opening the bridge to vehicle traffic - which divides Mitrovica in the Albanian-majority south and the Serb-majority north - despite continued opposition from the international community and local Serbs.
Representatives of the QUINT countries in Kosovo have publicly stated that they do not support the opening of the bridge at this time. The QUINT countries are: the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and France. (here)
The European Union has said that the issue of opening the Ibar Bridge should be a topic of dialogue with Serbia. (here)
KFOR has said that it will not hesitate to act if it observes actions near the bridge that could jeopardize the safety of citizens. (here)
The bridge is currently only open for pedestrians, although in the framework of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, it has been agreed that it should also be opened for vehicle traffic.
Disinformation narratives of Serbian officials
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, in a statement, claimed that the Ibar Bridge will open on August 14 or 15, linking it to the idea that foreign agencies are preparing new political leaders for Serbs in Kosovo.
"On August 14 or 15, we expect the violent opening of the bridge over the Ibar. Foreign agencies will try to find new Serb leaders who will work for Kurti, but I tell them that they will not succeed. I call on KFOR to react and prevent the opening of the bridge.". (here)
Although Vučić claims a specific date for the opening of the bridge, which has not yet happened, he does not base his claim on any concrete reference. A similar claim was made days ago, when Vučić said that there would be a protest in the south by Albanians against the protest by Serbs in the north for the opening of the bridge, which turned out to be untrue. (here)
The Head of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic, in a reaction, claimed that Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi are, at all costs, aiming to incite interethnic conflict with the opening of the bridge. He said this by also linking it to the barricades of 2014 and the 'Peace Park'. (here)
"Albin Kurti's recent statement that the Ibar bridge should be opened and that there is no discussion on this topic clearly shows that the only thing Kurti wants is war and provoking a conflict with major consequences. I hope that it is now clear to everyone, especially in the international community, who Albin Kurti is – a Balkan arsonist, who wants conflict and chaos in the region.! "
Regarding his claims, it should be noted that they are not based on verifiable facts. Several similar cases, where similar narratives were used by Petkovic, have been covered by hibrid.info. (here)
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in Moscow, where he is on a visit, that a new escalation in Kosovo will occur before the beginning of September, with an expected attempt by Kosovo Albanian authorities to occupy northern Kosovo. (here)
"This year I expect a tightening in Kosovo until September, because I see it from the reactions of the Quint (USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy) who only threaten Albin Kurti, but do nothing. Usually, when this happens, things take a dangerous turn. Now is the ideal time to attack in the north".
In a recent statement, Vulin mentioned the important role of students in North Mitrovica, describing them as the main defenders of the bridge that separates the southern and northern parts of the city. According to him, the University in North Mitrovica, with around 8,000 students, has played an important role in preventing attacks in the north. He emphasized that during the summer vacation period, these students, who have always been on the front line of defense, are on vacation.
"The University in North Mitrovica with 8,000 students, who always defended the bridge between the southern and northern parts of Mitrovica and prevented attacks in the north, is now on summer break.".
Students in the north had protested last year in front of municipal buildings in the north (here) and in 2008 against the independence of Kosovo (here), Vulin does not provide any evidence that students have previously defended the bridge and that his claim that it is a critical moment for the Kosovo Government to attack the north is unfounded.
Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs, in an interview for RTS, emphasized the vital importance of the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica for the survival and security of the Serbian people. According to him, official Pristina does not aim to open the bridge, but to occupy it, to present it as a victory over the Serbian people and to declare that territory as Albanian (here).
"Pristina does not really want the bridge to open, it wants to occupy the bridge, to show how it is victorious, how the Serbian people in the north were defeated, how they were subdued, how they were put under control, and that this territory is Albanian territory, even though 95 percent of Serbs live in that part of the territory.".
Drecun does not base his claim on any facts. He has repeatedly made unfounded claims with the idea that there is a strategy for ethnic cleansing of Serbs. (here)
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, in a statement to journalists, said that opening the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica would be a dangerous move that would threaten the survival of Serbs in Kosovo (here).
"The most important thing is that KFOR, first of all, does not allow the opening of the bridge between northern and southern Mitrovica, because I rely on this issue the most. The opening of the bridge will be a tsunami for the survival of Serbs in Mitrovica, which is why Albin Kurti is doing it.".
Besides the fact that Vučević does not base his claim on any facts, he had made unfounded claims about ethnic cleansing of Serbs before. (here, here)
Disinformation narratives in the media
On the other hand, several narratives related to the opening of the Ibar Bridge were also published in the Serbian media.
The Serbian media outlet “Informer.rs” published an article on August 12 that, without any facts, accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of preparing an attack on Serbs in Kosovo, linking this to the “Valor Shield 2024” field exercise in which the Kosovo Security Force and special forces of the Albanian Armed Forces participated, under the supervision of the US Special Operations Command for Europe. (here, here)
"Just one day after the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, warned that extremists from Pristina are preparing chaos in the north of the Republic of Kosovo, because on August 14 or 15 they intend to forcefully open the bridge over the Ibar, the so-called "Special Intervention Unit of the Kosovo Police" and the "Kosovo Security Forces" held an exercise under the supervision of the US Special Operations Command for Europe and the Special Forces of the Albanian Armed Forces.
Similarly, without providing facts, the daily newspaper "Politika" has also claimed in a published article, where it assesses that official Pristina is not giving up on plans to open the bridge over the Ibar in Mitrovica, and this, according to it, is considered a provocation and could lead to a new and uncontrolled escalation of violence. (here)
"The regime led by Albin Kurti has been accused of deliberately provoking interethnic conflicts and attempting to drag Serbia into a potential conflict with NATO.".
Russia Today, the Serbian service, has published an article on the doubts of Serbs in North Mitrovica regarding KFOR's ability to protect the Serbian people in the event that Albin Kurti opens the bridge over the Ibar. While KFOR calls for avoiding unilateral actions and guarantees intervention in case of tensions, the media outlet in question, based on the statements of the speakers, assesses that KFOR will be on Pristina's side even in this situation. (here)
"KFOR, as always, ultimately is on the side of the Pristina authorities, and I think that neither the Serbian people nor Serbia can expect strong support from KFOR for the protection of the Serbian people, not even in this situation.", General Mitar Kovač tells RT Balkan.
Contrary to the above claim, KFOR has stated that it will not hesitate to act if it observes actions near the bridge that could jeopardize the safety of citizens. (here)
In addition, Russia Today published an article discussing the situation in Mitrovica, focusing on the opening of the bridge over the Ibar and its impact on relations between Albanians and Serbs. According to the outlet, Albin Kurti is being accused of trying to unite the Albanian and Serbian parts of the city into an Albanian-controlled administration, which has caused concern among Serbs. One of the Serbs from North Mitrovica says that the purpose of opening the bridge is closely linked to the idea of a unification of Albanian power and that the attack on the bridge could be a new step towards the Association of Serbian Municipalities (ASK) (here).
Meanwhile, Sputnik, in Serbian, has published an article related to the developments around northern Kosovo and the Ibar Bridge, which claims that Serbia is at war with NATO and not with Albanians. According to them, apparently, they are talking about the terror of the Pristina authorities, but in fact, it is the directives and violence that come from Washington. (here)
"In all their violent and illegal actions, he says, the Albanians go little by little, understanding their plan piece by piece, and the whole game between Washington and the Pristina authorities is transparent. Washington is interested in the story of Kosovo ending and getting a rounded state without interference in northern Kosovo.”.
Despite this claim, KFOR also maintains a fixed presence at the main bridge over the Ibër/Ibër River in Mitrovica and conducts regular patrols in the surrounding areas. They have also confirmed that any decision regarding the Ibër Bridge should be taken through political dialogue and in a coordinated manner. In this regard, we continue to fully support the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. (here)