- After clashes in a Serb-majority town in Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has put his country’s army on standby.
- In addition, troops should be moved closer to the border with Kosovo.
- Defense Minister Milos Vucevic spoke of an urgent measure.
“It is clear that terror is being perpetrated against the Serb community in Kosovo,” Vucevic said on television. The Kosovan police in Zvecan had previously used tear gas and stun grenades against Serbian demonstrators who wanted to prevent a new Kosovan mayor from taking office. Violent protesters torched a police car. The police reported five injured officers, local Serbian health authorities reported ten slightly injured people.
Legend:
Vehicles were set on fire during the demonstrations in Zevcan.
Reuters/Valdrin Xhemaj
The mayors in the four northern Kosovar municipalities have been sworn in over the past few days. The Serbs boycotted their election last month. Voter turnout was therefore only 3.5 percent. The new mayors in the area inhabited almost exclusively by Serbs come from Albanian parties. Almost exclusively Albanians live in the rest of Kosovo.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo
Tensions with the Serbian minority in northern Kosovo have repeatedly arisen. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. However, the government in Belgrade did not recognize independence and is demanding its return. The Serbs living in Kosovo also see themselves as part of Serbia.
Legend:
Aleksandar Vucic has been in charge of various functions in Serbia since 2012.
Reuters/Marko Djurica
He announced this at a mass rally of the nationalist presidential party in Belgrade, one day before the SNS party congress. It is currently unknown who will be his successor. At the beginning of the month, Serbian society was shaken by two rampages that killed 18 people. Opponents of Vucic have called for consequences in recent weeks.
The leadership in the capital Pristina blamed Belgrade for the unrest. “Serbia’s illegal and criminal structures in northern Kosovo were given the order to escalate the situation on the ground,” wrote Blerim Vela, chief of staff to Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani, on Twitter.