(ANSA-AFP) - ZVECAN, MAY 30 - The situation in northern
Kosovo remained tense Tuesday 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 six
percent 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 percent 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 peace-keepers 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." NATO strongly condemned the "unprovoked" attacks
against KFOR troops, adding that such actions were "totally
unacceptable". Belgrade placed its army on high alert last week
when tensions flared, and ordered forces towards the frontier
with Kosovo. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic announced
Tuesday meetings in Belgrade with ambassadors of the so-called
Quint -- five powerful NATO members that focus on the Western
Balkans -- but also with representatives of Russia and China.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and Belgrade
and its key allies Beijing and Moscow have refused to recognise
it, effectively preventing Kosovo from having a seat at the
United Nations. Serbs in Kosovo remained largely loyal to
Belgrade, especially in the north, where they make up a majority
and reject every move by Pristina to consolidate its control
over the region. (ANSA-AFP).
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Serbs gather again in northern Kosovo after clashes
Situation in northern Kosovo remained tense