Disturbances flared up again today in Kosovo's
divided city of Mitrovica just as Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned in
his latest report that continuing violence was "the single most important
threat" to the goal of bringing peace to the troubled province.
In Mitrovica, the violence began very
early in the morning, following the overnight arrest by police from the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) of two Kosovo Serbs
suspected of assaulting UNMIK police officers on 1 March. A crowd of Kosovo
Serbs gathered in front of the police station in the northern section of
the city, demanding the suspects' release.
According to an UNMIK spokeswoman, Susan Manuel, a police car was burnt and another damaged. Two houses, reportedly belonging to either Kosovo Bosnians or Albanians, were assaulted - one set on fire, the other one attacked with a grenade. French and Danish members of the international security force (KFOR) used tear gas and managed to calm down the situation at the station. However, other groups of Kosovo Serbs were reported moving around other parts of northern Mitrovica, blocking roads.
"So the situation is not yet resolved," Ms. Manuel said, adding that UNMIK, KFOR and police officials were meeting on how to keep the situation calm. "Clearly, we ask all the communities to exercise restrain and not respond to the provocations going on right now."
Meanwhile, in his latest report to the Security Council on UNMIK, the Secretary-General noted that while "most residents abhor the violence," they remained unwilling to cooperate with UNMIK in tackling the causes and perpetrators. "It is imperative," Mr. Annan stressed, that Kosovo's leaders "speak out against the violence and call for an end to the climate of impunity that allows criminals to operate freely."
The report, which was released today at UN Headquarters in New York, noted at the same time that UNMIK had made "considerable progress" despite political, security and economic challenges. "The emergency phase is largely over," Mr. Annan wrote, pointing out that emphasis was now given to capacity-building, including the elaboration of a legal framework for provisional self-government institutions, the ongoing consultations with representatives of all communities, the development of municipal administration and the strengthening of a revenue-generating commercial economy.