"Freedom, trust, and reconciliation": challenges and hopes for Serbs and Albanians in northern Kosovo

Dec 30, 2024 – Dragisha Llakiqević, a farmer from the village of Kutnje in northern Kosovo, is one of many Serbs in the region facing a growing sense of uncertainty. The challenges have intensified since Kosovo's government shut down several Serbian-run institutions in early 2024, arguing that their operations were illegal.

Llakiqević, who manages a 12-hectare farm near the Ibar River, says he now struggles to maintain basic services that were once provided by Serbian-run institutions. These included Serbia’s Post Office, banks, and local authorities, which many Serbs rely on for financial and administrative support. The Kosovo government replaced these institutions with its own services, but for many in northern Kosovo, they are not seen as reliable.

“We feel much more connected to Raška, Kralev, and Novi Pazar [Serbian cities] than to Kosovo’s cities like Pristina,” says Llakiqević, underlining the cultural and political divide that remains in the region.

The situation has worsened with Kosovo's 2024 ban on the use of Serbia’s currency, the dinar. Most Serbs in the north receive their salaries, pensions, and social assistance in dinars, but with Kosovo now using the euro, they face a daily struggle to exchange their money. “All our incomes are in dinars, but we can’t pay anything in dinars here. We have to exchange them for euros,” Llakiqević explains.

Pensioners like 80-year-old Slobodanka Llazović from Leposavić are among the most affected. Unable to travel to Serbia each month, she depends on friends to bring her pension from North Mitrovica. “I don’t know what will happen next,” she says, echoing the uncertainty many Serbs feel.

The distrust of Kosovo’s authorities runs deep. Llakiqević and many others view the Kosovo Police as an occupying force rather than protectors of security. “This distrust has been built over the years,” he says, pointing to the tense relations and frequent arrests that have defined the experience of Serbs in the region.

Despite the difficult circumstances, some Albanians in northern Kosovo see progress. Zahir Mehmeti, who returned to his home in North Mitrovica after 24 years as a refugee, expresses optimism. “There is no greater happiness than returning to my home,” he says, praising the efforts of the Kosovo government for helping displaced families like his return to their property.

This contrasts with the views of many Serbs, who are still caught between two conflicting systems. While some hope for reconciliation, others fear that the divide will persist for years to come. Skënder Sadiku, Deputy Speaker of the Municipal Assembly of North Mitrovica, believes that reconciliation is possible, but acknowledges it will take time.

For now, the Serb community in northern Kosovo faces daily struggles, from navigating the shift to Kosovo’s institutions to dealing with economic hardships and growing distrust of local authorities. Many are left questioning how long they can continue under such uncertainty. (REL)