The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has condemned the “completely unacceptable” attack on demonstrators in Kosovo that resulted in approximately 25 injured peacekeepers.
Police and NATO forces clashed with Serbian protesters in the northern region, where riots broke out over the appointment of an ethnic Albanian mayor. Tear gas and stun grenades were used to disperse the protesters in Zvecan, after NATO troops also formed security lines around two other city halls.
NATO stated that peacekeepers from Italy and Hungary were among those injured in the recent violence on Monday (May 29, 2023), with three of them in serious condition.
Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the attack.
NATO referred to the attack as “completely unacceptable,” adding in a statement that they urged all parties to “refrain from actions that further escalate tensions and engage in dialogue.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that over 50 Serbian individuals required hospital treatment, with many more injured.
Vucic placed the army on the highest combat alert level in response to the new protests. He deployed military units near the Kosovo border on Friday (May 26, 2023), following similar clashes.
The protesters were angered not only by the appointment of an ethnic Albanian mayor but also by the heavy-handed actions of the Kosovo police, who appeared with rifles and armored vehicles.
The protesters became increasingly provoked when the Serbian flag was removed from the city hall and replaced with the Kosovo flag.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, emphasized that the security forces were only ensuring that democratically elected mayors could represent their constituents.
However, he was accused of trying to create chaos for everyone in the region by attempting to install a leader without a credible mandate.
“Do not let that fake mayor in here just because they won 50 votes,” said Igor Simic, the deputy chairman of Serbia List, the largest Serbian party supported by the government in Belgrade.
“Not even the Albanian people voted for him,” he added.
The worst violent incident on Monday (May 29, 2023) occurred in Zvecan. A crowd gathered outside the city hall early in the morning, hoping to prevent the newly appointed mayor from entering the building.
AFP reported that NATO-led forces initially attempted to separate the protesters from the police but later dispersed the crowd using shields and batons. Some protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the troops.
The Kosovo police stated that one of their vehicles was set on fire, and provocative writings with Serbian and Russian symbols were found on another vehicle.
As known, the crisis began in April when Serbian people in Kosovo boycotted the local elections, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of the local council with less than four percent of the voter turnout.
Both the European Union and the United States have criticized the authorities in Kosovo for destabilizing the situation in northern Kosovo and warned against any actions that could escalate ethnic tensions there.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 after years of tense relations between the Serbian people and the majority Albanian population.
It has been recognized by the United States and major European Union countries, but Serbia, supported by its powerful ally Russia, refuses to do so, as do most of the Serbian population in Kosovo.
The Albanian ethnic group constitutes over 90% of the overall population in Kosovo, while the Serbian people make up the majority in the northern region.
The recent clashes started after Serbian Kosovo, which represents about 5% of the country’s total population of 1.8 million, boycotted the local elections in April in four predominantly Serbian cities in the north. This allowed ethnic Albanians to take control of the municipalities.
Belgrade supported the boycott, resulting in a voter turnout of only 3.47%, which was triggered after the Serbian community demanded the establishment of promised Serbian municipal associations.
Despite their support for Kosovo, the European Union and the United States have criticized Pristina for creating an unstable situation and urged the authorities to “reduce tensions.” This advice seems to have been disregarded.
