Why was the Ibër Bridge closed, and what was aimed beyond?

June 24th 1999 marks the day Ibri Bridge in Mitrovica was placed with djemba wire. That day the bridge never opened again.

This move was made by French NATO forces, which were deployed in the northern part of the country.

“The three-legged bridges” is the documentary broadcast on the MATT show in Kosovo dedicated to closing the bridge, Mitrovica and the idea of partitioning Kosovo from there.

Beliefs are different in Kosovo as to why the bridge was undertaken.

This was done with a clear political goal, on behalf of the security of Serbs in its north. Serbia was intended to keep the northern part under control, and when it comes to final status negotiations trying to remove this part from Kosovo”, political analyst Arbnor Sadiku estimates.

“ndering at the time is very difficult for the new citizens of the state of Kosovo to understand ) was extremely necessary”, says Serbian journalist Branislav Krstic.

Visar Ymer, from the Institute “Mousine Koklari”, points out that the bridge's closure was “has been a practical solution to avoid tension”.

And the ideas it was about a division plan reject the former spokeswoman. NATO, Jamie Shea.

“Ide was not the division of Kosovo. It was not to divide Kosovo. Far from it. You know, the purpose of NATO was Kosovo within its administrative borders as a multiethnic country, but to offer some security at least for the population in the north until when things are resolved and, of course, Kosovo can move ahead of”./Periscopi/