Serbs gather in Zvecan town after clashes
PRISTINA: The situation in northern Kosovo remained tense yesterday as ethnic Serbs continued to gather in front of a town hall in Zvecan after violent clashes with Nato-led peacekeepers left 30 soldiers injured.
The Nato-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers wearing full riot gear have put a metal barrier around the municipal building in Zvecan and are stopping several hundred Serbs from entering, an AFP journalist at the scene said.
Three armoured vehicles of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo police — whose presence always stirs controversy in Serb-majority northern areas — remained parked in front of the town hall.
Serbs — who account for about 6% of Kosovo’s population — boycotted last month’s elections in northern towns where they are in a majority, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils despite a minuscule turnout of under 3.5% of voters.
Many Serbs are demanding the withdrawal of Kosovo police forces, as well as the ethnic Albanian mayors they do not consider their true representatives.
Tensions flared after Serbs tried to force their way into the Zvecan town hall on Monday, but were repelled as Kosovo police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
KFOR at first tried to separate protesters from the police, but later started to disperse the crowd using shields and batons. Protesters responded by hurling rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers.
A total of 30 peacekeepers were wounded in the clashes, including “fractures and burns from improvised explosive incendiary devices”, KFOR said in a statement.
Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said 52 demonstrators were hurt, three of them “seriously”. Five Serbs were arrested for taking part in the clashes, according to Kosovo police.
KFOR said the soldiers responded “to the unprovoked attacks of a violent and dangerous crowd” whilst carrying out its mandate in an impartial manner.
“To avoid the clashes between the parties and to minimise the risk of the escalation, KFOR peacekeepers prevented threats to the lives of Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians,” KFOR said.
“Both parties need to take full responsibility for what happened and prevent any further escalation, rather than hide behind false narratives.”
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.