Security measures in Zvecan, northern KosovoGetty
The state of affairs is “tensely calm” after the clashes in latest days The Serb majority within the space has by no means accepted Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008
NATO-led peacekeepers in riot gear maintain the safety cordon exterior the city corridor within the Kosovo city of Zvecan because the state of affairs stays tense a day after 30 troopers and greater than 50 protesters of Serbs have been injured in clashes between Serbs and Kosovars.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has positioned the military on the best degree of fight alert, and whereas on Tuesday Moscow accused the West of “blaming” the Serbs for the clashes. In Moscow’s opinion, the Serbs are “determined” on the state of affairs within the north of the nation.
On Monday, troopers from the NATO-led Kosovo Force (Kfor) blocked a bunch of Serb protesters from getting into the city corridor space. Protesters had boycotted final month’s elections in a minimum of three northern cities, in a geographic space the place they’re within the majority, permitting Kosovar Albanians to grab management of metropolis halls regardless of voting much less within the elections. of three.5% of the electoral roll, a choice that has been condemned by NATO member nations.
In this context, many Serbs are demanding the withdrawal of the Kosovo police forces, in addition to the ethnic Kosovar Albanian mayors whom they don’t think about their true representatives.
The Serb majority within the space has by no means accepted Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, and considers Belgrade its capital 20 years after the Kosovo Albanian rebellion in opposition to Serb rule. Kosovar Albanians make up greater than 90% of Kosovo’s inhabitants, however northern Serbs have lengthy demanded implementation of a 2013 EU-brokered deal for the creation of an affiliation of autonomous municipalities of their space.
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