Why is there another flare-up in tension in northern Kosovo?
Serbian forces on high alert after ethnic Serbs clash with Kosovar police.
There’s tension once again in northern Kosovo – this time after police used force to allow four ethnic Albanian mayors to take up office after winning local elections.
That vote was boycotted by most ethnic Serbs, who make up the majority of the region’s population.
There’s a geopolitical backdrop, too: Kosovo was once part of the former Yugoslavia.
Now, Russia backs Serbia and NATO supports Kosovo’s independence, along with a large contingent of international troops.
So, what’s behind this flare-up? And could it spread?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault
Guests:
Dan Ilazi – Head of research at the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies
Helena Ivanov – Associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society
Giorgio Fruscione – Research fellow, the Balkan desk of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies