Opening of Ibar Bridge sparks controversy in north Kosovo

euronews (in English)

Hundreds gathered around the bridge on Wednesday, following pressure from the Government of Kosovo to open the bridge that divides the Serb-dominated north and Albanian south of the city.

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00:00Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo's north have protested against the opening of a bridge on Iba River,

00:06which they say has protected them from ethnic cleansing.

00:10Hundreds of ethnic Serbs gathered on Wednesday following pressure from the Kosovan government

00:15to open the main bridge in Mitrovica.

00:20This bridge, which is here, was saved by Kosovo's multi-ethnic community

00:25and their political concept, which forced Serbia to bomb it for 78 days.

00:31Until this bridge, until this coast, there was ethnic cleansing,

00:35which persisted for 99 years and 2009.

00:39The bridge on Iba River divides the city of Mitrovica.

00:43Its north has a large ethnic Serb minority.

00:47The bridge has been closed since 2011, when ethnic Serbs started constructing barricades.

00:53Last year, the Mitrovica Town Hall Assembly, or Parliament, decided it should be opened.

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