Kosovo Serbs defy Nato demands over blockades

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo
have defied demands by Nato to remove roadblocks, amid tensions over
control of border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo.

Nato peacekeepers had given the minority Serbs until Tuesday to remove barricades set up at two crossings.

But Nato troops sent to the area left without dismantling them in an apparent bid to give the Serbs more time.

The blockades were erected in July when the mainly ethnic Albanian government sought to seize the crossings.

Last month, after a two-week stand-off with Nato-led peacekeepers, a deal was reached to allow Nato to control the crossings.

But Tuesday’s deadline passed without the roadblocks of rocks, mud and logs being dismantled.

Peacekeepers from Nato’s Kosovo force, K-For, withdrew their
convoy of trucks and armoured personnel carriers from one of the
crossings, about 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Pristina.

“We’ve been given orders to go back, as we cannot go through
barricades,” a Nato commander in the field told Reuters news agency.

Serb politicians said no action would be taken before their leaders debate a compromise proposal on Wednesday.