Serbs in northern Kosovo on Tuesday defied a deadline set by NATO to remove roadblocks leading up to the border with Serbia, prolonging a months-long standoff over who should control the border crossings.

Hundreds of ethnic Serbs gathered around the roadblocks, made of rocks, mud and logs, to prevent NATO's KFOR peacekeeping troops from taking them down. NATO says the blockades must be removed to establish freedom of movement in the region and to free up supply routes for its troops.

The alliance had set a deadline of early Tuesday for the blockades' removal, but when its convoy of trucks and armored vehicles approached the roadblocks heading toward the contested Brnjak border crossing, they pulled out.

Serbs have called on NATO to postpone any operation until Wednesday to give community leaders time to discuss a possible compromise.

"We have agreed with KFOR representatives that they return to their bases and await the outcome of the meeting Wednesday," said Slavisa Ristic, mayor of the northern Kosovar town of Zubin Potok.

Serbia's minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, told the Blic newspaper on Monday that "there is clearly a mood [among Serb protesters] to allow KFOR to supply the posts with food, water and medication," and that NATO should give the protesters more time to meet with local officials.

Disputed border to a dispute country

Violence in Kosovo's north flared up in July, when Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-led authorities deployed their security forces to take control of the Brnjak and Jarinje border crossings and enforce a short-lived ban on Serbian imports.

Ethnic Serbs, which make up the majority in northern Kosovo, set up the roadblocks to prevent the switchover from taking place. The ensuing violence reached its climax when an ethnic Albanian police officer was killed.

Last month, the EU mediated a compromise that saw both Serbia and Kosovo lift their trade bans. Later, EU and Kosovo forces bypassed the roadblocks in helicopters and set up a skeleton force of police and customs agents.

Serbia rejects Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from 2008 and sees it as a renegade Serb province; most EU countries have recognized its sovereignty but there are notable exceptions including Spain, Cyprus and Greece.

Author: Andrew Bowen (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Editor: Mark Hallam