U.N. Withdraws International Police Personnel From Northern Kosovo

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

NORTH MITROVICA, Kosovo - Violence erupted between Serbian rioters and NATO Peacekeeping authorities early before dawn on Monday morning.  Approximately 300 Serbs refused to leave the U.N. courthouse that that they took over last Friday in defiance of the U.N. mission to assist Kosovo with establishing an independent government.  Negotiations between the two sides failed over the weekend, so peacekeeping forces acted early this morning to retake control of the courthouse. 

Approximately 40 U.N. police and 12 NATO soldiers were hurt in the violence, and 70 Serbians are estimated to have been injured.  Reports from Mitrovica indicate that the rioters used rocks, Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, firearms, and grenades against NATO and U.N. police forces.  NATO admitted that it used both "lethal and non-lethal means, but [that troops] only shot in the air

As a result of the violence, the U.N. evacuated all international police personnel from northern Mitrovica today.  U.N. spokesman Alexander Ivanko told CNN that police were withdrawn because they were under a constant attack, and that the situation could be better handled by KFOR peacekeeping forces. 

Today's lawlessness is said to be the worst outbreak of violence the Kosovo region has seen since independence was declared from Serbia last month.

The European Commission urged today that violence in the region was unacceptable, and that it fully supported KFOR's mission to enforce peace.

In perhaps the clearest indication that Serbia's government is behind the protests, Slobodan Samardzic, Serbia's minister for Kosovo, urged Serbians to continue protesting.  "We will reach the goal only if we are patient, smart and organized and believe in what we want to accomplish," Samardzic told supporters. 

The U.N. Secretary General reaffirmed today that the U.N. will take all measures necessary to fulfill its mandate and restore peace to the region.

For more information, please see:

BBC - Kosovo clashes force UN pullout - 17 March 2008

CNN - Kosovo clashes force U.N. withdrawl - 17 March 2008

Yahoo (AP) - Peacekeepers battle Serbs in Kosovo - 17 March 2008

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