The city with four rivers, since the beginning of 2023, was hit by heavy floods and faced serious consequences.

Floods, elections, protests, incidents, burning cars, attacks on KFOR police, terrorist acts, injured and killed, as well as many arrested people, are events that characterized the city of Mitrovica and the north, during the year 2023.

The Ibri and Lushta rivers, which broke out on January 21, damaged hundreds of houses and businesses, infrastructure, agricultural lands, while also causing landslides in some parts of the territory of this municipality, but luckily there was no loss of life.

The value of the damage caused by the floods in this municipality, including the 'Bosnian Quarter', which is under the administration of the municipality of Northern Mitrovica, had exceeded the amount of over 10 million euros, while all municipal institutions (in both parts of the city ) were engaged and put into operation with full capacities for almost a week, in an effort to return to the normality of citizens' lives.

On November 5, 2022, Serbs left the institutions of Kosovo, as a sign of dissatisfaction with a government decision on illegal license plates, as well as the suspension of the director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Nenad Gjuriq, who opposed the implementation of the order for these license plates.

The collective resignations of northern Serbs from the institutions of Kosovo, first of the mayors of four municipalities, then of the municipal assemblymen and other officials from the security and justice sector, which occurred on November 5, 2022, created an institutional vacuum and as a result showed the need to hold elections new ones, which were set for December 18 of the same year.

The process on this date was cancelled, following the rise of tensions in that part. The tensions continued and culminated in several incidents with firearms and the placement of barricades on the roads leading to the two border points with Serbia, Jarinje and Brnjak.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, had set April 23, 2023, as the new date for holding these elections, which were widely boycotted by the Serbian population there. 

According to CEC data, 1 thousand 567 voters, or 3.4 percent of the electoral body, took part in the election, while four Albanians won the post of mayors of municipalities, two from the Democratic Party of Kosovo and two others from Vetëvendosje.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new mayors on May 25, (except for the one in North Mitrovica who was sworn in a week earlier), raised tensions in that part of the country.

Some mayors were forced to take the oath in alternative facilities, while others in municipal facilities, which were secured by numerous police forces and KFOR.

The protesters in the northern municipalities, Leposaviq, Zveçan and Zubin Potok, were already demanding the resignation of the new mayors and the withdrawal of members of the Kosovo Police from the north.

Their protests were becoming more and more violent every day, thus starting attacks on the police, KFOR members, journalists, and burning their vehicles.

On May 29, the situation in Zveçan escalated. Criminal groups from Serbia attacked KFOR with firearms, stun grenades, fuel and strong tools.

Their confrontation with KFOR soldiers left about 100 people injured, 30 of whom were from KFOR.

The protests continued for months, but every day the number of protesters decreased, while members of the police and KFOR continued their duties, thus ignoring the demands of the protesters.

On the morning of September 24, the country was shocked by an attack by a terrorist group of about 100 people in the village of Banjské in Zveçan, who had entered Kosovo with heavy weapons from the territory of Serbia.

They were led by Milan Radojicic, vice president of the Serbian List, at the same time part of the blacklist of the USA and the United Kingdom.

The partial capture of the terrain in the north was the aim of the terrorist group, through the establishment of fighting positions.

A part of them was stationed in the Banjska Monastery and around it, as from there they continued to shoot at the police forces.

As a result, police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed, police officer Alban Rashiti was injured, while another was injured.

On the other hand, three terrorists were killed, one was wounded, while six others were arrested.

Just a few days later, the Kosovo Police announced that they have confiscated an arsenal of weapons belonging to this group worth over 5 million euros, while the two border points with Serbia were closed for a month. /A. groom/