After Peaceful Night in North Kosovo, Local Serbs again Gathering in Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok

KFOR, Kosovska Mitrovica, Aug.31 2022(BETAPHOTO/SASA DJORDJEVIC)

North Kosovo was peaceful during the last night after the May 29 conflicts in Zvecan, in which around 50 Serbs and more than 25 KFOR members were injured.

In the morning on May 30, the Kosovo police said that the situation in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok was peaceful and that no incidents had been reported.

Since early morning on May 30, local Serbs have been gathering outside the City Hall buildings in Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic. According to media reports, the largest number of Serbs have gathered in Leposavic, where the City Hall building has been guarded by members of KFOR’s Italian contingent and the Kosovo police special forces.

On May 30, the Serbs again presented their demand to KFOR for withdrawal of the Kosovo police special forces and the newly elected Leposavic mayor, who is still in the City Hall building. The Serbs also demanded that the building be vacated so that the employees could continue their work.

At the same time, Kosovo TV channel RTK 2 has reported that the new mayors of Zvecan and Zubin Potok will not go to their respective offices on May 30.

The Serbs in four municipalities in North Kosovo have been protesting demanding that the City Hall buildings in their municipalities be vacated by the ethnic Albanian mayors, who were elected in snap local elections held on April 23, which were boycotted by the local Serbs.

Clashes broke out outside the City Hall building in Zvecan in the afternoon on May 29, when, after several-hour negotiations, the local Serbs, who had gathered to try to prevent the new mayor from entering the City Hall building, refused to let pass two police vehicles, demanding withdrawal of all members of the Kosovo special forces from the City Hall buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok.

Amid the latest tension in North Kosovo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on May 30 met with the ambassadors of the Quint countries (the U.S., the Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy) and the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia. Vucic is scheduled to meet with the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Serbia during the day.