Vehicle license plate war under way, Serbs withdraw from joint army
The Kosovo International Security Assistance Force (KFOR) has stepped up its patrols on the Serbia-Kosovo border, as the “license plate war” continued with the mobilization of the Serbian Armed Forces. At the same time, Bosnia's disintegration tendencies intensified, following the announcement by the Bosnian Serb leader that Serbs would no longer join the joint Bosnian army.
In Kosovo, the dispute has to do with whether or not Belgrade's sovereignty is recognized by Belgrade. Serbia still does not recognize Kosovo's independence and is asking drivers entering Kosovo to obtain temporary Serbian license plates. Pristina began demanding the same from drivers entering Kosovo with Serbian license plates, sparking outrage among Kosovo Serbs.
In a show of force, Serbian aircraft flew over the border area, while the army began exercises. The Kosovo-based International Security Assistance Force (KFOR), numbering about 5,000 troops, rushed to the border area to prevent a possible resurgence of a conflict that has been frozen since 1999, when Serbia was forced to withdraw from Kosovo by NATO bombing. .
In Bosnia, meanwhile, Serb political leader Milorad Dodik said the Serb entity (Republika Srpska) was withdrawing its consent from the joint Bosnian Serb (Croats, Croats and Muslim-Serb) agreement.
Bosnian Serbs, backed by Russia and China, are calling for the abolition of the post of High Commissioner for Bosnia, which has been held since July by Croatian-born German Christian Democrat Christian Smith. The Bosnian Serb boycott of central institutions began when former High Commissioner Valentin Inzko used the powers of his office to criminalize the denial of genocide, which is adopted by many Bosnian Serbs.
source: KAPHIMERINI KYPROU
