Unrest: Serbs in northern Kosovo continue to demonstrate

riots
Serbs in northern Kosovo continue to demonstrate

Women fasten Serbian flags to a fence in front of City Hall during a demonstration in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan. photo

© Bojan Slavkovic/AP

Again and again, violence and clashes bring Europe’s youngest state into the headlines. Neighbor Serbia does not want to accept the loss of its former province.

In northern Kosovo, Serbs continued their protests against the appointment of new mayors on Thursday. There were rallies again in front of the municipal offices in the towns of Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok. According to a report by the news portal koha.net, they were peaceful. On Monday there were serious clashes in Zvecan between Serbs and soldiers of the NATO-led protection force KFOR, which secure the offices. 80 people were injured, including 30 soldiers.

Almost exclusively Serbs live in the region, in the rest of the country almost exclusively Albanians. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize this and demands the return of its former province. The protests flared up after the election of new mayors – Albanian politicians who prevailed in by-elections that the Serbs boycotted at the behest of the government in Belgrade.

The settlement of the most recent crisis in the Balkans is also to be discussed this Thursday on the sidelines of the European summit in the Republic of Moldova. Also present are Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani. The EU wants to mediate.

dpa

source site-3