The clashes occurred on Monday afternoon when militant Serbs protested against the appointment of new mayors in Zvecan and other municipalities.
(Photo: Reuters)
Leposavic, Belgrade One day after the serious clashes between militant Serbs and the KFOR protection force that left around 80 injured on both sides, Serbs gathered again in northern Kosovo to protest on Tuesday morning.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the municipal offices in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, which are secured by the NATO-led KFOR, the Kosovar news portal koha.net reported, citing its own reporters on site.
The clashes broke out in Zvecan on Monday afternoon when KFOR troops used tear gas to disperse a violent crowd. The militant Serbs threw incendiary devices, stones and bottles at the international security forces.
30 KFOR soldiers, including 19 Hungarians and 11 Italians, suffered injuries, including broken bones and burns, the protection force said in Pristina on Tuesday morning. “KFOR has (…) responded to unprovoked attacks by a violent and dangerous crowd,” the statement said. According to the hospital in the nearby town of Mitrovica, 53 Serbs were injured.
In the north of Kosovo, which is populated almost exclusively by Serbs, the local population is protesting against the appointment of new mayors who emerged from last month’s elections and come from Albanian parties. The elections were boycotted by almost all Serbs.
reactions to riots
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti blamed neighboring Serbia for the riots. Most of the demonstrators in the north are “a bunch of extremists under the guidance of official Belgrade,” he said late Monday evening in a conversation with western ambassadors, according to his office.
Soldiers from Italy and Hungary suffered broken bones and burns.
(Photo: Reuters)
NATO strongly condemned the attacks on KFOR troops. “Such attacks are totally unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. We call on all sides to refrain from actions that further escalate tensions and to engage in dialogue,” a spokeswoman for the military alliance said. KFOR will take all necessary measures to maintain a secure environment.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the attack. “What is happening here is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible. We will not tolerate any further attacks on KFOR,” she said on Monday evening, according to a statement.
Many Serbs boycotted local elections beforehand
Police had the new mayor, an Albanian, set to take office before the riots. Serbs are also protesting in two other places in northern Kosovo, where Albanian mayors have also taken over. The three were elected in April, with almost all Serbs boycotting the election.
Riots in Kosovo: NATO peacekeepers injured
That is why the election winners come from Albanian parties. The previous Serbian mayors resigned their positions in November 2022 in protest against the policies of the Kosovar government.
The escalation came on Monday when the Serbian crowd in Zvecan refused to let the Kosovar police vehicles that were still there drive away. The KFOR squad then broke up the meeting.
Kosovo, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, declared its independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize the statehood of its former province and demands its return. At the same time, it repeatedly stirs up tensions among the Serb population of Kosovo. In 1999, Belgrade responded to an armed uprising by Kosovar Albanians by expelling and mass killings of civilians.
NATO then intervened with bombing and forced the withdrawal of the Serbian security forces from Kosovo. A UN Security Council decision in the same year tasked KFOR with ensuring security in Kosovo.
More: Ambiguous partner: Serbia wants to join the EU – but many Serbs feel connected to Russia