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Access to northern Kosovo, a big problem for the EULEX mission

(credit: Eulex)

(BRUSSELS2) Whether in terms of the police, justice or border surveillance, the setting up of roadblocks on the roads in northern Kosovo has considerably hampered the activities of the European "Rule of Law" mission (Eulex) in northern Kosovo and any hope of rapid normalization. " Roadblocks erected throughout northern Kosovo since July 2011 continue to be blocked. prevent EULEX members from traveling by road to the north of the territory, which compromises the ability? of the North Iber/Ibar Law Enforcement Mission” writes Xavier Bout de Marnhac, the head of the EULEX mission, in a report submitted to the UN Secretary General at the end of January. An observation also shared by the head of UNMIK and Ban Ki Moon himself in his report to the Security Council.

Roadblocks, unused borders and bypass roads

At the end of 2010, “the Serbs of northern Kosovo have maintained and reinforced? the barriers they had set up at border posts 1 and 31, and set up new barriers along other roads in order to protest against the presence of customs agents and members of the Kosovo Border Police”. They have also ?improved? the bypass roads which are used more and more frequently by vehicles”. KFOR is out of it? some and monitors others intended for vehicles weighing less than 3,5 tonnes. But, “Due to the mountainous nature of the terrain, it is unable to monitor all unauthorized roads and crossings. »

Reduced police and justice activities

These roadblocks have a very concrete effect on European activities to restore the rule of law. “The Mission's supervision, mentoring and advisory activities (EULEX) has? Kosovo police's presence in northern Iber/Ibar has been significantly reduced, as EULEX police have been unable to reach their local counterparts due to restrictions. his freedom? of movement. This reduction in relations between EULEX and Kosovo police officials compromises essential professional relations. »

In front of? the " difficulty? to move from the Mission to northern Kosovo, it was necessary to considerably reduce the number of trials taking place in the Mitrovica district court. The Mission finally exhausted? all the possibilities of transporting judicial personnel to the court, which led to at? delay several court cases. » Under these conditions, access? justice in northern Kosovo is " practically reduced to? nothing ».

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Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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