There was a clash between Kosovo Serbs and security forces, who opposed the deployment of police in the municipalities of Leposavic, Zveçan and Zubin Potok, where mostly Serbs live in northern Kosovo.
Local media reported that Kosovo Serbs, who opposed the deployment of Kosovo police in front of the Zveçan Municipality, set fire to 2 police vehicles, while the police intervened with shock grenades and tear gas.
In the statement made by the Kosovo police, it was stated that the security forces were assigned to help the mayors, who started their duties by winning the local elections held on April 23 in the relevant municipalities, to enter the official buildings.
The events that started as a result of the Kosovo Serbs gathering in front of the municipal buildings, opposing the appointment of the police, continued; It was alleged that the Serbs blocked the roads to the north of Kosovo with barricades.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s Cabinet Chief, Balım Vela, shared on his social media account, “Serbia’s illegal and criminal structures in northern Kosovo have been ordered to escalate the situation on the ground. Violence will not prevail. Serbia takes full responsibility for the tension. ” used the phrases.
ORDER “BE READY” TO THE ARMY IN SERBIA
It was stated that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also ordered the Serbian army to “be ready”.
In the news in Serbian Radio and Television (RTS), it was stated that Vucic ordered the army to “be ready” and that the members of the army moved to the north of Kosovo.
In the news, in which it was stated that the Kosovo police “conflicted” with the Serbs gathered in front of the Zveçan Municipality, it was reported that the sound of gunshots rose from the region.
Meanwhile, in the morning hours, sirens were heard in the municipalities of Leposavic, Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Northern Mitrovica, where Kosovo Serbs live intensely, and the Kosovo Serbs started to gather in front of the municipality buildings, worried about these sounds.
KOSOVO SERIES BOYCOTED THE ELECTIONS
The mayors, who won the extraordinary local elections held on 23 April in the municipalities of Leposavic, Zveçan and Zubin Potok, where mostly Serbs live in northern Kosovo, took their oaths yesterday.
The swearing-in ceremonies were held in public buildings in villages where Albanians live in the region, instead of municipal buildings, in order to avoid possible tensions, as Kosovo Serbs do not recognize the election results.
While the candidates of Albanian political parties won the local elections held on 23 April in 4 municipalities mostly populated by Serbs in northern Kosovo, the elections were boycotted by the Kosovo Serbs.
The Kosovo Central Election Commission (KQZ) announced that only 1,567 (3.47 percent) of 45,095 registered voters in the region voted in the extraordinary local elections.
SERBIA-KOSOVO RELATIONS
Although Kosovo is recognized as an independent state by 117 countries, it is described as one of the “frozen conflict zones of Europe” 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)