There are still parallel structures in the north, inadequate control is not being achieved

Kosovo's four northern municipalities -- including Leposaviqi, Zubin Potoku, Zvecani and northern Mitrovica -- are inhabited by the majority Serb population.

Representatives of nongovernmental organisations say that rule authorities are failing to have proper control in that part.

Naim Rashit, director of the Balkan Policy Group, says that postponing the establishment of the Serb majority municipalities has made parallel Serb institutions operating without any legal obstacle still present in northern Kosovo.

“All administration structures, municipalities still function, Serbia's various state agencies. In addition to education and health operating throughout Kosovo, a Central Bank of Serbia office is also freely functioning. Little has been done for their withdrawal or no plans have been made for their withdrawal”.

The “What has happened is the disappearance of police, the integration of police and judges who officially have no security institutions and law institutions in the north - of course not officially known to be the presence of structures, but officially, such organs that can be arrested or acted, do not have in the north”, Rashit says.

According to him, Kosovo's north has been unmanaged and unmanaged for more than 18 years, and almost today the situation continues to be similar.

The fact that 80 percent of cars operate without signs [registering], the fact that there are no human circulation records speaks enough; there is not enough control over the borders. There are many illegal crossings like at no other border in the region. It's the most broken, most illegally circulated border, and this naturally moves us to understand that there are deeds there and that there are very dangerous criminal acts and the infiltrate of many groups of interest”, Rashi stressed.

He estimates that changing the situation in northern Kosovo, and eliminating all the dangers and groups that circulate illegally, will take a little longer. According to him, the order authorities, despite all efforts, are not acting there enough.

Police are under way and on a good track. I believe that after a while it will be put in order, but still Kosovo authorities, or even KFOR, do not control the border properly. We remember that for 4-5 years it has been impossible to operate Kosovo Police in the north. But now it operates to some extent”, Rashi points out.

The presence of parallel structures is not denied even by the authorities of the order. But, according to them, those structures have faded and no longer have the strength they had years ago.

Besim Hoti, deputy director of the Kosovo Police in the north, says the security situation in general is calm. He, however, thinks the current developments and dynamism of political actions affect the stability of that part.

Hoti emphasises that police in northern Kosovo need support and support from both local and central-level institutions.

“Once we have economic stability in this part of the country, we also talk about social stability. It's not just the police, the only security mechanism, which should work in this entire city's own safety link. However, those tasks and obligations that come up with laws and have been prosecuted for the Kosovo Police, of course the police, along with the many developments that have taken place in recent years with integration and dialogue, have influenced changes in forms and thinking on the security issue”, says Hoti.

As for illegal border crossings in the north, Hoti says border crossings are under full monitoring, but there are no exceptions when groups designated for different interests tend to cross the border illegally.

There are various groups' interests, which illegally tend to introduce tools or persons to crossing the border outside authorized points. The border police have their duties and do their job in identifying these groups or individuals”, says Hoti.

For Kosovo authorities, eliminating parallel structures in the north and other parts of the country is one of the key conditions for forming the Association of Serb-based municipalities in Kosovo, as one of the main agreements reached in dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade with the European Union's mediation in Brussels.