Kosovo: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) June 24-25

Event

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on May 27, is likely to come to an end at sundown on Saturday, June 24, or Sunday, June 25 (depending on the moon). During this time, operations in Kosovo will come to a virtual standstill as Muslims gather to pray and celebrate with family and friends in observation of Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan. While practices vary by area, Eid al-Fitr celebrations are likely to have an impact on many businesses and services (including administrative services) that will close or significantly reduce their hours of operation beginning on Saturday or Sunday evening; such disruptions could continue into the following days. As this period is typically marked by increased travel, heavy road traffic along with other transportation disruptions (crowded airports, etc.) is to be anticipated.

On a related note, Kosovo typically faces a heightened terrorist threat during religious holidays and the Islamic State (IS) actively recruits in the Balkans region. Around 300 citizens from Kosovo are believed to have joined Islamist extremist groups in Syria and Iraq.

Context

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the conclusion of 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting and remains one of the most important dates on the Muslim calendar. Generally speaking, the month of Ramadan is historically marred by a significant increase in terrorist threats.

Advice

Individuals in Kosovo are advised to allow for additional travel time, to avoid any protests as a precaution, and to report any suspicious activity or objects to the relevant authorities.

On a separate note, some foreign governments advise against nonessential travel to the municipalities of Zvečan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic, and to the northern part of the city of Mitrovica due to high tensions between ethnic Serbians and Albanians.