Western countries call on Serbia to exercise restraint: Serbia's army has been put on alert after unrest in northern Kosovo.
Belgrade – Demonstrations erupted in three municipalities in northern Kosovo on Friday (26 May), prompting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to put his country's army on standby and move troops closer to the Kosovo border. The reason for the unrest was previous mayoral elections: ethnic Serbs had first boycotted the election and then tried to prevent the mayors from taking office. Voter turnout in the region, which is inhabited mainly by ethnic Serbs, was 3.5 percent.
As the tagesschau reports, mayors of the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok were prevented from entering the buildings of the city administrations. At the municipal office in the village of Zvecan, the Kosovar police dispersed Serbian demonstrators. The officers are said to have used tear gas and stun grenades. Several cars are said to have been set on fire by violent protesters, including a police car. Kosovo police reported five injured officers, while local Serbian health authorities reported ten minor injuries. About 50,000 Serbians live in four northern municipalities of Kosovo, including Zvecan.
Kosovo: Police officers stand next to an armored vehicle after clashes between ethnic Serbs and Kosovo police that left more than a dozen injured on both sides. © dpa/Marjan Vucetic
Kosovo unrest: Serbia's defense minister speaks of "terror"
Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic spoke on television on Friday of an urgent measure in connection with the military's alert. "It is clear that terror is being perpetrated against the Serbian community in Kosovo," he said.
As reported by Der Spiegel, the spokesmen of the Kosovo Serbs, who are controlled by the government in Serbia, have called for a boycott of the election. The leadership in the capital Pristina blamed Belgrade for the unrest on Friday. On Twitter, Blerim Vela wrote: "Serbia's illegal and criminal structures in northern Kosovo have been ordered to escalate the situation on the ground." Vela is the chief of staff of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.
Unrest in northern Kosovo: This is the background
Again and again there are tensions with the Serb minority in northern Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. However, the government in Belgrade did not recognize independence. The Serbs living in Kosovo also see themselves as part of the neighbouring country. The ongoing dispute between the former Yugoslav republic of Serbia and its former province of Kosovo is an obstacle on the path of both states to the European Union. The EU foreign policy chief feared an escalation in northern Kosovo at the beginning of May.
US, Germany, France and UK call on Serbia and Kosovo to exercise restraint
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday condemned the attempt by the authorities in Kosovo to forcibly create access to the official buildings. This action was carried out against the advice of the US and Europe, had exacerbated tensions "drastically and unnecessarily" and would "have an impact on our bilateral relations with Kosovo".
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In a joint statement, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain and the United States called for restraint from all parties and a de-escalation of the situation, as the Foreign Office announced. (Reuters/ kat)