There was a clash between the Serbs who have been protesting in front of the Zveçan Municipality in the north of Kosovo since the morning and the NATO Peace Force in Kosovo (KFOR) units.
KFOR tried to disperse the crowd in front of the town hall using tear gas, protesters responded by throwing hard objects at KFOR forces.
The demonstrators continue to attack the KFOR forces in front of the city hall from the side streets.
It is stated that in the clash that took place, gunshots were heard, the vehicle belonging to the Kosovo police in the region was set on fire and there were wounded on both sides.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani shared on his social media account, “Serb illegal structures that have turned into criminal gangs attacked Kosovo police, KFOR officers and journalists. These unacceptable acts of violence should be condemned by everyone. (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic’s destabilization of northern Kosovo Those who carry out his orders must face justice.” made statements.
11 ITALIAN MILITARY WOUNDED
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani shared on his Twitter account on the latest developments in Kosovo, “I would like to express my solidarity with the soldiers of the KFOR mission who were injured in the clashes between the Serbian demonstrators and the Kosovo police in Kosovo. 11 Italians, 3 of them serious but not life-threatening. There is also the military. Italian soldiers continue to dedicate themselves to peace.” used the phrases.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made a statement on his Twitter account after his phone call with Tajani.
“We both agreed that the current time requires the implementation of the Basic Agreement (between Kosovo and Serbia) and the calming of the situation in the north,” Kurti wrote in his message. used the phrase.
The Kosovo Journalists Association (AGK) reported that many journalists and their vehicles in the region were attacked by the Serbs during the day.
In the photos AGK sent to the press, it is seen that a vehicle belonging to journalists was set on fire and several other vehicles were damaged.
CONDEMNED FROM NATO
NATO condemned the attacks on the alliance’s Peacekeeping Force (KFOR) troops in Kosovo and called for an immediate cessation of violence.
NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu shared the information that some soldiers who were attacked were injured in the clash between Serbs and KFOR soldiers protesting in front of the Zveçan Municipality in the north of Kosovo.
“NATO condemns the unreasonable attacks on KFOR soldiers in northern Kosovo.” Using the expression Lungescu stated that the attacks are unacceptable and that the violence must be stopped immediately.
Lungescu called on the parties to avoid actions that would fuel tensions and engage in dialogue, and stated that KFOR would take the necessary steps to ensure a safe environment and maintain its neutrality, in line with the mandate given by the United Nations Security Council in 1999.
PROTESTS ARE ORGANIZED
Serbs in northern Kosovo, where tensions have increased in recent days, are gathering in front of the town halls in Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic to prevent new Albanian mayors from taking office and to enter the municipal buildings.
The Serbs, who demanded that the Kosovo police withdraw from the municipal buildings and that the newly elected Albanian mayors do not take up their duties, tried to enter the municipal buildings by crossing the police cordon in the morning.
Kosovo police and NATO’s Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo (KFOR) had fenced the town halls and increased the number of personnel in the area.
The wait of the Serbs in front of the municipal buildings continues.
TENSION IN THE NORTH OF KOSOVO
There was also a clash on May 26 between the Kosovo Serbs and the security forces, who opposed the appointment of the police in the municipalities of Leposavic, Zveçan and Zubin Potok, where mostly Serbs live in northern Kosovo. It was announced that 5 police officers were slightly injured and 4 team vehicles were damaged in the brawl.
It was stated that Serbian President Vucic ordered the army to “be ready” and that the members of the army moved to the Kosovo border.
The candidates of the Albanian political parties won the extraordinary local elections held in the region on April 23, and the elections were boycotted by the Kosovo Serbs, who constitute the majority in the region. Kosovo’s Central Election Commission announced that only 1,567 (3.47 percent) of the 45,095 registered voters in the region cast their votes.
SERBIA-KOSOVO RELATIONS
Although Kosovo is recognized as an “independent state” by 117 countries, it is described as “one of Europe’s frozen conflict zones” due to the ongoing ethnic tensions in its north and its inability to become a member of the United Nations.
Serbia considers Kosovo, which declared its independence unilaterally in 2008, as its territory.
Serbia and Kosovo, which periodically clash, are trying to find a common way for the normalization of relations and eventually for the two countries to get to know each other, within the scope of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Process initiated in 2011 under the mediation of the European Union. (AA)