NATO is sending several hundred soldiers as reinforcements to Kosovo after the escalation of violence last week between Serbian and Albanian sources said Tuesday the Atlantic organization. A battalion, mostly formed by members of Germany and Austria, will be integrated into the international KFOR troops in the coming days.
A week ago, Kosovo experienced the greatest moments of tension since its independence in February 2008 when Albanian police seized the two crossings that separate the north of the territory of Serbia. North of the Ibar River, the vast majority of the population is of Serbian origin and the presence of the forces of Pristina is only symbolic.
The incident began when authorities in Pristina tried to stop the importation of goods Serbs to the north of Kosovo in response to the ban on Serbia's Kosovo exports of goods. Soon after the forces arrived Albanian special police, the incidents began, which lasted for three days despite the intervention of KFOR troops.
A policeman was shot and killed ethnic Albanian and Serb nationalists burned one of the two crossings. There were also road blocks in northern Kosovo, which continue despite the repeated interventions of KFOR. The EU mediator, Robert Cooper, arrived in Pristina on Tuesday after having held meetings in Belgrade to try to defuse the tension.
The Serbian authorities on Tuesday accused Western forces of "taking sides" in the conflict. KFOR prevents entry of trucks these dÃasla Serbs in northern Kosovo because it can not inspect them. Belgradoasegura that international troops are blocking the convoys of food to the people of Serbia, which can cause "a humanitarian catastrophe." Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after a campaign of 78 days of bombing to stop ethnic cleansing against Albanians by forces of the late President Slobodan Milosevic.
A week ago, Kosovo experienced the greatest moments of tension since its independence in February 2008 when Albanian police seized the two crossings that separate the north of the territory of Serbia. North of the Ibar River, the vast majority of the population is of Serbian origin and the presence of the forces of Pristina is only symbolic.
The incident began when authorities in Pristina tried to stop the importation of goods Serbs to the north of Kosovo in response to the ban on Serbia's Kosovo exports of goods. Soon after the forces arrived Albanian special police, the incidents began, which lasted for three days despite the intervention of KFOR troops.
A policeman was shot and killed ethnic Albanian and Serb nationalists burned one of the two crossings. There were also road blocks in northern Kosovo, which continue despite the repeated interventions of KFOR. The EU mediator, Robert Cooper, arrived in Pristina on Tuesday after having held meetings in Belgrade to try to defuse the tension.
The Serbian authorities on Tuesday accused Western forces of "taking sides" in the conflict. KFOR prevents entry of trucks these dÃasla Serbs in northern Kosovo because it can not inspect them. Belgradoasegura that international troops are blocking the convoys of food to the people of Serbia, which can cause "a humanitarian catastrophe." Serbia lost control of Kosovo in 1999 after a campaign of 78 days of bombing to stop ethnic cleansing against Albanians by forces of the late President Slobodan Milosevic.
- Kosovo: Nato sends in reinforcements (02/08/2011)
- Serbia Urges EU, NATO Missions to Discuss Kosovo With Belgrade - Bloomberg (02/08/2011)
- NATO reinforces contingent in North Kosovo (02/08/2011)
- Nato sends more troops to Kosovo - BBC News (02/08/2011)
- NATO activates reserve force for Kosovo (02/08/2011)
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