A decade since the creation of the Peace Park on the Ibar Bridge and new fears for Serbs

Ten years ago, the Peace Park was built on the main bridge over the Ibar between North and South Mitrovica. The bridge was made accessible for pedestrians but not for vehicular traffic, which is a goal the authorities in Pristina aim to achieve this summer.

The Peace Park was constructed the day after the removal of concrete barricades on the northern side of the bridge, which had been set up in 2011 by Serbs opposing the presence of Pristina's institutions in northern Kosovo, following the Kosovo Police taking control of the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings. The decision to build the park was made by the then-mayor of North Mitrovica, Goran Rakic, in coordination with the Serbian state leadership. Although Rakic stated that this act extended a hand of friendship to Albanian neighbors, the construction of the Peace Park was not welcomed by Albanians from the southern part of the city.

Four days after the planters with greenery were placed, a protest titled "Either You, or Us" was held in front of the bridge in South Mitrovica by Albanians. The protest turned into riots, in which about 20 people were injured. A group of demonstrators attempted to cross the bridge to the northern part of the city, and Kosovo police and KFOR were pelted with stones, to which they responded with tear gas and shock bombs.

The park lasted for two years before being removed due to the bridge's revitalization, as agreed in the Brussels dialogue.

Regarding the bridge's function, Serbs and Albanians still hold different views today. Serbs' fears remain the same.

Nemanja Bisevac, a member of the Serb List presidency, tells Kosovo Online that the Peace Park was a successful project.

"I remember the entire event of that day, I was present. A day or two earlier, the barricades erected by Serbs as a symbol of resistance in 2011 were removed. The Peace Park was another symbol of resistance and a way to defend the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija," Bisevac said.

Reflecting on the decade since, Bisevac believes the park helped prevent the mass exodus of Serbs from the north.

"Serbs managed to preserve their homes and prevent a mass exodus from northern Kosovo and Metohija. They demonstrated unity and preserved all four northern municipalities, not just Kosovska Mitrovica," Bisevac emphasized.

Given the Kosovo government's announcement that the main bridge on the Ibar will be opened for vehicular traffic this summer, Bisevac says that this is causing fear among residents due to over 100 attacks on the northern part of the city from the southern side since 1999.

"A lot of blood has been shed, many Serbs have been wounded and injured, and many have given their lives defending the northern part of the city," he said.

This problem, he emphasized, cannot be understood by someone who does not live in North Mitrovica.

"Such a move would cause additional anxiety among Serbs. On the other hand, it would be another step towards closing the municipality of North Mitrovica, which is the ultimate goal of the southern municipality and Kosovo authorities. When the Peace Park was removed, then-Mayor of South Mitrovica Behtiri attended, emphasizing that there was no longer a reason for the bridge not to be functional and for striving to unite the two municipalities," Bisevac recalled.

Skender Sadiku, Deputy Chairman of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, holds a completely different opinion on both the former Peace Park and the opening of the bridge for traffic.

"Placing flowers in the middle of the bridge was the greatest nonsense. This bridge should be normal, like any other in the world, connecting people, not creating installations and all sorts of foolishness in the name of the park and peace. Let's not forget on this tenth anniversary that there have been no ethnic problems in Mitrovica, which is good. We are definitely closer to normalcy than the crazy things we have experienced here," Sadiku said.

He believes it is the right time to open the bridge between South and North Mitrovica and that their unification should happen as soon as possible to improve economic development and achieve normalization.

"I hope that with normalization, normal things will gradually start, and the municipality will deal with what it should. If we had talked humanely, like neighbors, those in between wouldn't have come. We should respect each other," Sadiku added.

In the Balkans, many things start with bad ideas, and he criticized the initial idea of dividing the city with the bridge.

"They were creative in dividing us, but unfortunately, not so much in connecting us. The bridge is concrete and iron, and as a citizen, as a Mitrovica resident, I am distressed by the idea of this bridge being a symbol of division," Sadiku said.

However, he adds that this bridge is historically known as one that didn't connect people, but he believes now is the time to open the bridge because, as he says, it is a universal right for people to move freely. He reminds that the North Mitrovica Assembly passed a decision last year to open the bridge and notes that Mitrovica residents freely move in both parts of the city and that there are no tensions. He also adds that North Mitrovica is an urban center for Serbs, with students coming there, and that there are Clinical Center and University Center.

Sadiku says he understands the fear Serbs have regarding the bridge's opening announcement, and as he says, it is about "generations with a fear of fear."

"This fear that the majority Serb community in the north has also reflects on other communities. I often mention that my children and my community have the same fear. With these fears, we are scaring people in the Bosniak Mahala too, meaning Bosniaks, Turks, Roma, Ashkali, and Gorani. I believe this fear should slowly be thrown, into the Ibar, if nothing else, and that people should live normally. People in the south should also be afraid, if we follow that logic, that an organized group of Serbs might come and cause problems. But that leads nowhere. The city should be preserved and opened for people of good will from all sides," Sadiku concluded.