Tensions did not subside in Kosovo as citizens of Serbian origin revolted against the election of mayors in four countries in highly contested elections in which only 3.5% of the electorate took part. NATO had to intervene to protect the buildings of the four Municipalities where the first ethnic Albanian citizens settled.
In one of the towns, Zvecan, after all Serbs withdrew from the army last year, the Kosovo State Police, composed entirely of Albanian personnel, used pepper spray and attempted coercion to repel a crowd of protesters breaking through the brick barricade. They enter the town hall. In Leposavic, near the Serbian border, US peacekeepers with riot gear installed barbed wire around town hall to protect it from the hundreds of angry Serbs who had gathered nearby. “This morning, the NATO-led KFOR mission (Kosovo Force, ed.) has increased its presence in four municipalities in northern Kosovo, following recent developments in the region,” the mission, commanded by Italian General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, said in a statement. claiming to be in close contact with its main interlocutors, including representatives of the country’s security institutions and organizations, the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as representatives of the European mission Eulex and other international community.
“In accordance with its mandate, KFOR is ready to take all necessary measures to ensure a safe environment in an impartial and impartial manner”, the commander urged Belgrade and Pristina to “enter into a European Union-led dialogue to de-escalate tensions”. Serbs, who make up the majority of northern Kosovo, have never accepted the 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still consider Belgrade their capital, more than two decades after Kosovo Albanians revolted against Serbian oppression. Albanians make up more than 90% of the country’s population as a whole, but northern Serbs are calling for the implementation of a ten-year EU-negotiated agreement for the creation of a union of autonomous municipalities in their region.
In last month’s elections, Serbs refused to participate, and ethnic Albanian candidates won with a 3.5% turnout. At this point, the Serbs asked the Kosovo government to dismiss the ethnic Albanian mayors, but Pristina chose to continue despite the demonstrations and clashes. On Friday, Kosovo police escorted three of the four mayors to their offices, pelting stones to disperse the demonstrators and responded with tear gas and water cannon. The United States and Europe, which strongly support Kosovo’s independence, scolded Pristina for escalating tensions with Serbia, saying the use of force to appoint mayors to Serb-dominated areas undermines efforts to normalize relations.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg yesterday urged the Kosovo government to “decrease tensions and not take unilateral and destabilizing steps”. Kosovo prime minister Albin Kurti showed that he wanted to move forward, tweeting that “elected mayors will serve all citizens” after a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. However, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said, “It is not possible to have mayors in Serbian-majority municipalities that are not elected by Serbs.” On Friday, Serbia placed the army on high alert and sent troops to the border. In 1999, NATO peacekeepers were deployed to Kosovo after the alliance’s bombing campaign that led to the expulsion of Belgrade security forces from what was then Serbia’s southern province.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
