Injured NATO soldiers and Serbs and Djokovic mingle in fire – escalation in Kosovo Medicine Nobel laureate Harald zur Hausen passed away

That happened

At least 34 soldiers from the KFOR (Kosovo Force), which works on behalf of the United Nations to secure peace in Kosovo, were injured in clashes with violent Serb demonstrators in the town of Zvecan in northern Kosovo. Reports say there are 20 Hungarian soldiers and 14 Italians, according to government circles in the two countries.

Some soldiers reportedly suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and burns, but their lives are not life-threatening. The Serbs were also injured. At least 52 protesters have been hospitalized with injuries, according to the hospital in the nearby town of Mitrovica.

Why did the clashes take place?

The clashes came about because new mayors were to be installed in three cities in northern Kosovo. The militant Serbs protested: All new mayors are Albanians elected last April – the majority Serb population in northern Kosovo had boycotted the elections. The Kosovo government in Pristina held on to the results despite a turnout of 3.5 percent, which is why the newly elected must now take up their posts. A move that was also viewed critically by Kosovo’s western allies.

Because there had been protests against the inaugurations beforehand, the mayors were accompanied by KFOR soldiers, who then also protected the town halls.

Things escalated in the town of Zvecan when about 300 KFOR soldiers took on a violent Serb horde. This fired tear gas and stun grenades at the NATO units, who therefore tried to disperse the meeting. The Serbian demonstrators also attacked NATO vehicles, spraying the Russian war symbol “Z” on them, among other things.

In the two municipalities of Leposavic and Zubin Potok, KFOR troops also secured town halls during the inaugurations of the respective mayors, where there were also Serb protests.

This is how NATO reacts

NATO has strongly condemned the attacks on KFOR forces. “Such attacks are completely unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. We call on all sides to refrain from actions that further fuel tensions and to engage in dialogue,” a spokeswoman for the military alliance said. KFOR will take all necessary measures to maintain a safe environment.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose soldiers were among those directly affected, also condemned the attack. “What is happening here is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible. We will not tolerate any further attacks on KFOR,” she said in a statement Monday evening.

This is how Serbia and Kosovo are reacting

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic called on the Serb population in northern Kosovo to avoid confrontations with NATO soldiers. At the same time, he sharply criticized Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. This is to create tension in the neighbourhood. Vucic also put the Serbian army on edge.

However, the Albanian side leveled the same accusation against Vucic. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani wrote on Twitter:

For some time now, the Serbian government has been accused of fomenting the conflict in North Kosovo, even though it occasionally makes reassuring public statements. Serbian nationalists still see Kosovo as Serbian territory and therefore do not accept its independence.

Djokovic with a political message at the French Open

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has also revealed certain nationalistic tendencies in the past regarding the situation in Kosovo. And at the French Open currently taking place in Paris, he again caused a stir due to the incidents in the Balkans: after the first-round victory against American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who also has roots in the Balkans, Djokovic in Bosnia issued a political message away. At the usual winner’s autograph on camera after tennis matches at Grand Slams, he added:

While he is celebrated in front of the embassy by his Serbian compatriots, critics see in the action a clear nationalistic commitment to Serbia, accompanied at least by a call for peace.

Djokovic himself later denied the political background to the message at the press conference.

And further:

As a public person, he does feel responsible for the support. Djokovic grew up near the Kosovo border and his father was born in Kosovo.

Even though Djokovic denies the political content of the message, it can hardly be disputed. Sportingly, the action is therefore also sensitive: political or religious messages are generally not allowed at the French Open, a penalty is in principle possible. Those responsible for the tournament have commented on Djokovic’s action.

The background

There has long been a brooding relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is now predominantly inhabited by Albanians, except in the north where ethnic Serbs predominate. There is therefore a huge potential for conflict there. Serbia does not recognize the state of its former province of Kosovo and demands its return.

In 1999, during the Kosovo War, Belgrade responded to an armed uprising by Kosovar Albanians by expelling and massacring civilians. NATO then intervened, bombing numerous targets in Serbian territory and forcing Serbian security forces to withdraw from Kosovo. A UN Security Council decision in the same year entrusted KFOR with ensuring security in Kosovo.

With material from the SDA and DPA news agencies.