Tensions Rise in Kosovo’s Northern Region: Conflict Between Kosovo and Serbia Escalates Again

[앵커]

Kosovo and Serbia, called the powder keg of Europe.

There is a deep evil between the two countries, such as ethnic cleansing and war.

Tensions between the two countries are escalating again as a recent urban shootout broke out in Kosovo’s northern region, which has a large Serb population.

Correspondent Kim Gwi-soo covered the story in Kosovo.

[리포트]

Mitrovica, a city in northern Kosovo.

A car runs fast.

Men with rifles pass by reporters.

[“저 앞에도 있어.”]

Men with guns get into a car and rush somewhere.

Sirens shook the city center and the streets turned into mayhem.

A scene of residents attacking a police car was also posted on social media.

On the 13th local time, it was reported that armed police in plain clothes were in a situation where they were shot by Serbian residents.

A little while ago, there was a clash between Serbian residents and the Kosovo police.

As the sound of the sirens you hear now means, this place is a land of conflict.

This incident started with the local elections held at the end of last April.

It was from the election of an Albanian mayor in nearby Zvechan, where Serbs are the majority.

Albanian candidates were elected with a turnout of 3% as Serbs refused to vote.

Residents do not recognize this election and protest almost every day.

[즈베찬 거주 세르비아계 주민 : “(만약 북한이 한국을 침략한 뒤) 전체 유권자 중 2~3%만 참여하는 선거를 진행한 후 그 결과를 토대로 지방정부를 접수한다면 한국인들은 어떻게 행동하시겠습니까?”]

A few days ago, protesters clashed with Kosovo police and NATO international peacekeepers, and about 30 peacekeepers were injured.

[나토 국제평화유지군 : “(안으로 들어갈 수 있습니까?) 안됩니다.”]

The conflict has intensified since last year.

Protests intensified in the region after the Kosovo government banned Serbian license plates, and Serbia even deployed troops to the border.

Albanians suspect the Serbian government is behind the conflict.

[미트로비차 거주 알바니아계 주민 : “평화롭게 같이 살려면 우선 세르비아에서 (갈등 조장을 위해) 보낸 범죄자들이 사라져야 합니다. 코소보에 사는 세르비아인들은 나쁜 사람들이 아니에요.”]

As tensions rise in northern Kosovo, NATO has agreed to increase its peacekeeping force by 700 from the current 3,800.

This is Kim Gui-soo from KBS News in Zvechan, Kosovo.

[앵커]

We will continue to connect directly to Kosovo to hear more details.

Correspondent Kim Gwi-soo! The local situation seems serious, but Correspondent Kim was also arrested by the local police yesterday?

[기자]

That’s right.

The reporters were arrested and questioned by the police near the accommodation.

The reason was to take pictures outside.

It turns out that the reporters were mistaken for a Serbian spy.

I was released in about an hour after proving that I was a Korean correspondent who came to cover, but I could feel how tense the area is.

[앵커]

You mean it should be seen as a conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, rather than simply a regional issue?

[기자]

That’s right.

The 1991 war in Yugoslavia and the 1998 war in Kosovo increased the conflict between the two countries.

It is estimated that more than 10,000 Albanians died during the war in Kosovo as a result of so-called ethnic cleansing.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Serbia still refuses to recognize.

The recent incident in northern Kosovo has this historical background.

[앵커]

In a situation where even a military conflict is a concern, have there been any mediation efforts by the international community?

[기자]

Both countries wish to join the European Union and the EU.

So when the license plate crisis spread, the EU intervened.

However, criticism comes out that the international community has stepped in only after the conflict between the two countries has grown as it grows.

The attention of the international community, including the EU, was all focused on the war in Ukraine, putting it on the back burner.

The two sides are continuing the dialogue through EU mediation.

However, the confrontation is intensifying, and almost all factors of conflict, such as race, religion, and history, are at work, so a solution does not seem easy.

This is Kim Gwi-su from KBS News in Zvechan, northern Kosovo.

Cinematography: Kim Yeong-hwan/Video editing: Hwang Bo-hyeon-pyeong/Research: Lee Ji-eun