Phenomeni of drug addiction, northern Serbs: We have bigger problems than the bridge

Civil society in northern Mitrovica has estimated that in the northern part, the bridge is not the biggest problem.

Her representatives think there are much bigger problems, especially in terms of security, while supporting the idea of northern Mitrovica chairman Goran Rakic, that the bridge will not open until security conditions are created.

They point out that the biggest problem in the north is the narcotics trade and their use, as well as the actions of Albanian and Serbian criminal groups, which, as the civil society in northern Mitrovica, say, are part of the underground, Albanian and Serbian and closely co-operate with the underground in Serbia.

Organisation director “Heuman centar Mitrovica” Verolub Petronic, has commemorated that for EU representatives the bridge represents the biggest achievement in Kosovo. He has agreed with northern Mitrovica chairman Goran Rakiq, so that the bridge will not be opened for driving even for a while, because, he says, “would otherwise have incidents”.

“As the bridge opens, tensions will increase and we should expect incidents. We may have incidents, which police can control, but also those that cannot be controlled, so I agree with Rakiqi. Pomposis has been driven around this bridge. The bridge is not the biggest problem in our city. We have very big security problems rather than the” bridge, he said, says “Voice”.

Petronic has said the biggest problem is drug addiction and criminal acts.

“Nivel of drug addiction, of narcotics trade, the level of increased co-operation between underground, Serbian and Albanian groups, even of Serbia coming here, these are things that threaten young people and increase security risks over the long period”, he has praised.

Meanwhile, Goran Rakiq has taken advantage of a case that took place in Suhadol, when he was stoned by ambulances, in which Serbian citizens perform services, to insist the bridge does not open until security conditions are created.

He has even asked the commander of the Police Stacon in northern Mitrovica to find the authors.

He has ordered the commander of the Police Station in the north, Djordje Karamarkovic, that in the vicinity of an ambulance in Suhadol, a police patrol station be established.

I try not to get involved in other institutions' affairs, but the series of attacks has asked me as chairman to react. I am aware that we are not in a position to offer protection to our citizens in the south of the Ibër, who daily are exposed to the attacks, but we will not allow hot-headed people to endanger the safety of citizens”, Rakiq said, adding that during jobs in the reconstruction of the bridge, except that there are technical problems, no conditions have been created to open the bridge, which connects the northern part of the city of Mitrovica.

On the other hand, South Mitrovica Chairman Agim Bahtiri has said the bridge will be opened very soon, because, as Bahtiri has said, the security situation is at the highest level.

“cannot say when the bridge will open, but that will happen very soon, the EU must set the date when the bridge will open. Security currently in Mitrovica is at the highest level, it has never been better and this can't be cause the bridge to remain open. It means the security situation in Mitrovica is much better than in other municipalities, and certainly that the argument that there is no security and therefore cannot open bridges, does not stand. Bridges are to bring people together, not to share”, South Mitrovica Chairman Agim Bahtiri said.