UNMIK, KFOR: Flagrant breach of 1244

UNMIK and KFOR today issued a joint statement on the unrest in Kosovska Mitrovica. Up to 100 people were wounded, some seriously, 70 of them Serbs protesting after UN and NATO troops in the province this morning stormed a local court to arrest Serb judicial workers protesting there. UNMIK, KFOR: Flagrant breach of 1244 Now the statement says that UNMIK deputy chief Larry Rossin and KFOR commander Xavier Bout de Marnhac "condemn the resort to lethal violence, including direct fire, taken by a mob today at the [Kosovska] Mitrovica Court house". The two further underlined that the "violence directed at UNMIK police and KFOR personnel, which had re-established control of the Court in a joint operation this morning, is a flagrant breach of UN Security Council resolution 1244". They also urged "all communities" to exercise calm. "The resort to violence crosses one of the red lines that have been clearly articulated to the leaders of Kosovo Serbs in the north and to officials in Belgrade," the statement further said, and added that "UNMIK and KFOR will reassert control of north [Kosovska] Mitrovica". "As a temporary measure, UNMIK police from north Mitrovica are redeploying outside of the city while KFOR re-establishes control," the statement explained. The statement from Rossin and Marnhac ends with describing the Serb judicial workers in the court as a mob that occupied the building on Friday.

UNMIK, KFOR: Flagrant breach of 1244

Now the statement says that UNMIK deputy chief Larry Rossin and KFOR commander Xavier Bout de Marnhac "condemn the resort to lethal violence, including direct fire, taken by a mob today at the [Kosovska] Mitrovica Court house".

The two further underlined that the "violence directed at UNMIK police and KFOR personnel, which had re-established control of the Court in a joint operation this morning, is a flagrant breach of UN Security Council resolution 1244".

They also urged "all communities" to exercise calm.

"The resort to violence crosses one of the red lines that have been clearly articulated to the leaders of Kosovo Serbs in the north and to officials in Belgrade," the statement further said, and added that "UNMIK and KFOR will reassert control of north [Kosovska] Mitrovica".

"As a temporary measure, UNMIK police from north Mitrovica are redeploying outside of the city while KFOR re-establishes control," the statement explained.

The statement from Rossin and Marnhac ends with describing the Serb judicial workers in the court as a mob that occupied the building on Friday.