Clashes Between NATO Peacekeepers and Serbian Protesters in Kosovo

Following the election of Albanian mayors in the Serbian-majority northern Kosovo, which Serbs boycotted, tensions in the region have sharply escalated. Reuters reported that in the town of Zvecan, Kosovo police used pepper spray on protesters who had breached security and attempted to forcibly enter the town hall. Serbs left this town last year, and the police force is now composed of Albanians. According to Reuters, about 25 NATO peacekeepers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serbian protesters on Monday. Serbian protesters threw tear gas and stun grenades at NATO forces in the town. Serbs spray-painted the letter 'Z' on NATO vehicles, a symbol associated with Russia used in the war in Ukraine. In Leposavic, near the border with Serbia, U.S. peacekeepers erected barbed wire around the town hall to protect city officials from hundreds of angry Serbs. Protesters threw eggs at the parked car of the new mayor of Leposavic. The Serbian Defense Minister told reporters that Aleksandar Vucic, the country's president and commander-in-chief of the Serbian armed forces, raised the military's combat readiness to the highest level. Vucic stated that this means that just before 12:00 GMT, the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces issued additional instructions for the deployment of military units to specified positions. Witnesses reported that NATO forces also blocked the town hall in the town of Zubin Potok to protect local angry Serbs. One leader of the largest Serbian party in Kosovo, supported by Belgrade, known as the 'List Party,' accused the Kosovo Prime Minister of fueling tensions in the north. He told reporters in Zvecan, 'We are interested in peace. The Albanians living here are interested in peace, and only he, the Prime Minister, wants to create chaos.' Serbs, who make up the majority in northern Kosovo, have never accepted the 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still consider Belgrade their capital more than two decades after the Kosovo Albanians' uprising against Serbian oppressive rule. Albanians make up over 90% of Kosovo's population, but northern Serbs have long demanded the implementation of the 2013 EU-mediated agreement to create an association of autonomous municipalities in their region. Serbs boycotted the local elections in April, and Albanian candidates won in four Serbian-majority municipalities with a turnout of 3.5%. Serbs are demanding that the Kosovo government remove the Albanian mayors from the municipalities and allow local offices, funded by Belgrade, to resume their work. This report is based on Reuters coverage.