Citizens of North Mitrovica: Closing of the Serbian Post is terror and violence

Severna Mitrovica
Source: Kosovo Online

The closure of the Serbian Post in northern Kosovo is perceived by the citizens of North Mitrovica as terror and violence. They emphasize that such actions by the Kosovo authorities further complicate an already difficult life. However, some residents assert that despite all the hardships, they have no plans to leave their homes.

"We experience terror and violence; I have nothing else to tell you. One day, they will close the schools and healthcare too, then we'll have no choice but to go down the Ibar River. We will have to go to Raska or Kraljevo again, just like we do every month to get our pensions and medicines. This is no way to live, but we have nowhere else to go," says a resident of North Mitrovica.

Another resident of the town finds the closure of the Serbian Post extremely distressing.

"This is a very important institution. The Postal Savings Bank and the Post Office are crucial for this town. Our lives have become more difficult," she said.


After the closure, a woman from Mitrovica told us that not only the elderly but also the younger population is suffering.

"It's terrible and horrifying, especially for us old folks; it's sad. Does the EU have a heart? Enough is enough. I don't know what to tell you, it's very distressing. And for the youth, I have no words. Our lives are not just difficult; it's hard for me to breathe. We live like robots. We don't know where we are, we don't know what we are, even though we are on our own land. Our ancestors and children are here, we have nowhere else to go. Whatever they do, we will fight to the end, as much as we can. We lived well; I don't know what this is now," she said.

She added that she was born and raised in the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Bosniak Mahala, where everyone once lived harmoniously.

"Enough is enough. It has never been harder than now," this fellow citizen emphasized.

An elderly citizen described yesterday's actions by the Kosovo authorities as vandalism.

"The whole world is watching and doing nothing. They will make our lives harder; where am I supposed to deposit money? This is vandalism," he said.

Marija Stolic said that the pressure from the Kosovo authorities will not force the citizens of North Mitrovica to leave the town.

"The way things are going, they have closed everything. Anyway, let them keep closing things; they can't do anything to us. We will stay here," she stated.

Yesterday, the Kosovo police raided and closed nine branches of the Serbian Post in four municipalities in northern Kosovo—North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zubin Potok, and Zvecan. According to the Kosovo police statement, nine Serbian Post offices were closed "due to suspicion that they were operating without a permit and were not registered with the relevant Kosovo institutions."