On September 19, 2024, the Serbian outlet “Alo.rs” published an article titled: "GENERAL CHAOS IN PRISTINA – Vjosa asks Kurti to arrest Besnik Bislimi because of the Ibar Bridge?!"
The article discusses a meeting between Kosovo's chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, and NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Thomas Goffus, on September 17, 2024, during which they also talked about the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica.
"With this, according to some media outlets in Pristina, he has confirmed that the main bridge in Mitrovica will not be opened, and that issue has become part of the dialogue with Belgrade. For this reason, they add, 'President' Vjosa Osmani is demanding Kurti arrest Bislimi for 'violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo,'" the outlet reported.
The article does not provide any evidence to support the claim that the president of Kosovo requested the arrest of Besnik Bislimi.
However, the connection is made with a statement from Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, given on September 18, 2024, during a press conference: “If anyone is negotiating about the Ibar Bridge with Serbia, that is a violation of sovereignty, of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, and at no point is it in Kosovo's interest for this topic to be part of the dialogue with Serbia,” Osmani declared. According to her, the issue of the Ibar Bridge should not be discussed with Serbia, and anyone who does so “violates Kosovo’s sovereignty.”
Since the end of the war in Kosovo, the Ibar Bridge has been a symbol of ethnic division between Albanians and Serbs. While the central bridge is open for pedestrian movement, it remains closed to vehicles, despite the EU having completed revitalization efforts years ago. The Kosovo government’s warning about reopening the bridge for vehicle traffic sparked numerous reactions and concerns about the potential resurgence of ethnic tensions. Although the EU and the U.S. do not oppose the reopening of the bridge, they believe it should not occur under the current circumstances.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
