They lack products from Serbia, Serbs in the north: The Mountain Works

The road from Serbia to northern Mitrovica through Podujevo (Besiana) continues without a problem. There are no long bans or waitings on the border, in particular if at the border changes Serbia's plates and places Kosovo's ones. And when we arrive in Mitrovica in the early hours of the morning, there are mostly police on the street. A lot of cops every step. But a little farther away, we see long lines ahead of banks and ATMs. People want to pull money.

We're waiting, because now there's enough money. But it may be that there is no money, because it has happened before. It wouldn't be the first time”, an elderly man says and suggests: “if you need money, get in line, because you don't know”.

There are plenty of goods in stores

There is no confusion in shops, following the Kosovo government's decision to introduce 100 %s taxes on goods coming from Serbia.

There are plenty of goods, vendors say they also have reserves. “We have little milk shortage, other goods we have enough, while prices have not changed“, says retailer Zivorad Todorovic. We're going to have a few more days with these goods. We hope those of us from the government of Serbia, but also from the city of Mitrovica, will solve the problem. It can't go on like this. People are suffering. Kids don't have milk. Not even the old, nobody. The reserves are getting shorter because no one has too large warehouses to create large cargo reserves”.

Zivorad agrees to speak to journalists, but many others do not. People here, as they say, are fed up with everything.

However, they say they are not afraid of the tax struggle now, but it is not the same if this continues indefinitely.

“I have milk reserves at home for another day or two”, says an elderly woman who has gone out walking with her nephew.

This is really a big problem, and unfortunately we're used to always missing something“, says another. I live alone, I don't need a lot of things, so it's not a big problem. You know that you can live without what you don't have”.

Even the newspapers of the day have not arrived here since Thursday. But on the street you can see people with the newspaper “Informer” in hand. “Why do you say there is no, we all have “, says one with this newspaper in hand.

Alternative ways

Ivan Miletic, owner of a store where newspapers and household items are sold, explains that these newspapers have gone to people's address and have not come through the store.

Perhaps someone from Raska has brought them, because no newspapers and other goods have arrived through the distributors since Thursday“, Ivan says. It's now being lived by the reserves, but the reserves can last until the end of the week. So what?

In the meantime, we see a car from which the milk can be extracted.

In the question where this milk comes from, we hear a hasty response: “There are alternative roads, mountain works”.

Here he speaks of numerous unlegal routes for supply of goods, but neither are these safer because it is said that Albanians have gone with KFOR to these roads in the mountain. They have also begun searches on these roads, which can be closed.

“They can even take the car and arrest, while we go get only some stuff”.

Mitrovica residents will again gather for protests in the city. The Serbian List MP in the Kosovo Assembly calls after a meeting of crisis headquarters from the four northern Kosovo municipalities for people not to succumb to provocations. He says provocations will continue. Along with citizens, the most vulnerable are institutions, such as health centres, but also student centres, which should feed 5,000 students.

“Pristina with its decision is affecting people's lives on ethnic grounds“, says Health Centre Director Milan Ivanovic. He claims that the Centre has problems in providing medical supplies, hospital materials, and other necessities.

“Skeners prepared”

Portal reporter „Kosev” Milica Andric-Raki thinks the situation behind the latest measures is much more serious than before.

Until now, always when there has been an economic or political crisis, we have had the impression that we are with a television show and that it is about some agreed performance between Belgrade and Pristina. We are an area of interest between two governments, two presidents, two assemblies and they experience us as a market for building their political capital. Every time someone falls for voters, they come here and create a riot. I'm afraid this time we don't have an orchestrated crisis, there's no agreement on this crisis. ”

The Kosovo government's decision appears to be somewhat part of a campaign. But Serbian media have not registered that this decision was made just a day before the Parliament session, where the Kosovo Foreign Ministry's failure and scandals --“ -- says Milica Andric-Rakiq.

She thinks tax hikes for 100% have continued the length of Ramush Haradinaj and his government.

Rada Trajkovic, former Kosovo politician and head of the nongovernmental organisation „European Movement in Kosovo” agrees. “I think this government decision is political, and the reason is that Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj opposes partitioning Kosovo and has thus wanted to stop or interrupt negotiations between Vuciqi and Thaci”. /dw/