(27 Nov 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Mitrovica, Kosovo - 27 November 2023
1. Wide of pedestrian street
2. Close of Serbian flag
3. Technical control for cars in North Mitrovica
4. Close of what Kosovo authorities say are illegal car plates
5. Various of technical check up
6. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Svetolik Radovanovic, Kosovo Serb citizen:
“Yes I’m changing my car plates from KM (Kosovo Mitrovica) to RKS (Republic of Kosovo)”
(Question: How’s the process going?)
“The process is going good, a bit of waiting but it's okay.“
7. Various of cars with illegal plates waiting for technical control
8. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Svetolik Radovanovic, Kosovo Serb citizen
“I’m changing my plates because I will not be able to drive with KM anymore.”
9. Various of North Mitrovica municipality building
10. Various of citizen giving illegal plates and receiving Kosovo car plates
11. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Nora Fetoshi, Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson:
“We welcome the will that has recently been added to our community members in the four northern municipalities for vehicle registration, in compliance with the latest decision of the government of the Republic of Kosovo. At this moment, as we speak, around 3,000 citizens have registered their vehicles, benefiting from the financial incentives provided during this process on a monthly basis."
12. Wide of police station in North Mitrovica
13. Close of police flag
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Veton Elshani, Police spokesperson for North Mitrovica
“After the 1st of December, so after the deadline, Kosovo police will not block the north (north of Mitrovica). Kosovo police will consider these cars as unregistered cars. So they do not have to be in circulation. So basically what will happen is that the police officers would stop these cars, take their license plates, issue a ticket for not having the car registered, but the owner of the car will be allowed to take the car outside from the street, from the road. If we see again this car in the streets, probably we will tow it.”
15. Various of traffic in North Mitrovica
STORYLINE:
Scores of ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo on Monday registered their vehicles with legal number plates ahead of a December 1 deadline.
Many drivers lined up at centres in North Mitrovica to have their vehicles checked and their license plates replaced.
Some were enticed to do so by a financial incentive from the authorities.
Local media suggested that anyone who registered by October 31 would pay neither tax nor a registration fee for the vehicle.
After the deadline, any plate showing "KM," for Kosovo Mitrovica, will become illegal.
Only vehicles featuring plates with "RKS," for Republic of Kosovo, will be allowed on the road.
Kosovo is a mainly ethnic Albanian populated territory, but ethnic Serbs make up the majority in the north of the country.
Vehicle registration was one of the reasons four ethnic Serb municipal representatives resigned their posts last year.
They were protesting a decision by Kosovo's government to ban Serbia-issued vehicle license plates.
Serb lawmakers, prosecutors and police officers also abandoned local government posts.
Tensions in the north and with neighboring Serbia remain tense, especially after a deadly gun battle on September 24.
About 30 Serb gunmen battled with Kosovo police, leaving an officer and three gunmen dead.
AP video by Florent Bajrami
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