On Anniversary of Zvecan Riots, KFOR Seeks Those Responsible for 93 Injured in Incidents

Protest in Zvecan, May 31 2023 (BETAPHOTO/SASA DJORDJEVIC)

KFOR, the NATO-lead mission in Kosovo, repeated the request on May 29 for the arrest of the perpetrators of attacks on KFOR members during the protest in Zvecan, which took place on that date in 2023.

KFOR declared in a statement that attacking their members was unacceptable. The attack took place after tensions grew in Kosovo’s northern municipalities, with the Kosovo police assisting the new Albanian mayors in entering the municipal premises, which the local Serb population opposed after rejecting the results of the local elections that they boycotted.

The situation escalated on May 29 when the Serbs clashed with KFOR, which resulted in 93 KFOR members being injured, some of them severely. “We honor today the accomplishments and sacrifice of our fellow soldiers, who have risked their lives to carry out the duty for all communities living in Kosovo, in keeping with our mission’s mandate. Their courage helped the situation in the area stabilize and prevent further escalation,” stated the commander of KFOR, Ozkan Ulutas.

According to the statement, after the violence in the north, NATO deployed around 1,000 more troops and additional armored forces in Kosovo.  The presence of KFOR  was increased in northern Kosovo and patrols strengthened, including those on the border, the statement reads.