UN report critical of K. Mitrovica court raid

International troops in Kosovo didn't have to use force to storm a courthouse in Kosovska Mitrovica, a report says. The raid, conducted by UNMIK and KFOR on March 17, is thus criticized in the still unofficial document that came as a result of an internal investigation. UN report critical of K. Mitrovica court raid The court building was attacked in order to arrest Serb judicial workers protesting there, demanding to be given the right to return to their offices, from where they were driven out. The workers were arrested, and released the same day without any charges. But Serbs in the northern part of the divided Kosovo town, after learning about the raid, confronted the international troops. In a morning of serious clashes that followed, one UNMIK policeman from Ukraine died, while 200 persons on both sides suffered injuries. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic reacted to the news today by telling B92 that he was satisfied with the findings, and stressing that they came as a result "of persistant insistance by the government in Belgrade". But UNMIK officials said that they will not make any comments until they have an official report, adding that their reaction "will certainly be in line with the recommendations from the UN Secretariat". In New York, UN spokeswoman Michelle Montas explained the sequence of events that will follow in connection to the report. "First, there will be a discussion with the UN members states that are directly interested, then the UN Security Council members will talk about the report. There are certain steps before it becomes public and official, for the moment it is an internal document of the UN." "The findings, of course, will not be changed, perhaps they will assume a more formal shape, while the parties that the report refers to will be fully informed," Montas said. The document, according to Reuters, was presented by UN secretary-general's peace operations assistant Edmond Mulet in a closed briefing. The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters after the briefing that the use of force against the Kosovo Serbs at the time was "absolutely unjustified", RFE reports from New York today. Western diplomats have confirmed the critical tone of the reports, as well as that the forces on the ground were found to have ignored advice from the UN HQs. But these diplomats also said that the document "confirms that soldiers and police acted within their mandates". Kosovska Mitrovica, March 17, 2008 (FoNet)

UN report critical of K. Mitrovica court raid

The court building was attacked in order to arrest Serb judicial workers protesting there, demanding to be given the right to return to their offices, from where they were driven out.

The workers were arrested, and released the same day without any charges. But Serbs in the northern part of the divided Kosovo town, after learning about the raid, confronted the international troops.

In a morning of serious clashes that followed, one UNMIK policeman from Ukraine died, while 200 persons on both sides suffered injuries.

Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić reacted to the news today by telling B92 that he was satisfied with the findings, and stressing that they came as a result "of persistant insistance by the government in Belgrade".

But UNMIK officials said that they will not make any comments until they have an official report, adding that their reaction "will certainly be in line with the recommendations from the UN Secretariat".

In New York, UN spokeswoman Michelle Montas explained the sequence of events that will follow in connection to the report.

"First, there will be a discussion with the UN members states that are directly interested, then the UN Security Council members will talk about the report. There are certain steps before it becomes public and official, for the moment it is an internal document of the UN."

"The findings, of course, will not be changed, perhaps they will assume a more formal shape, while the parties that the report refers to will be fully informed," Montas said.

The document, according to Reuters, was presented by UN secretary-general's peace operations assistant Edmond Mulet in a closed briefing.

The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters after the briefing that the use of force against the Kosovo Serbs at the time was "absolutely unjustified", RFE reports from New York today.

Western diplomats have confirmed the critical tone of the reports, as well as that the forces on the ground were found to have ignored advice from the UN HQs.

But these diplomats also said that the document "confirms that soldiers and police acted within their mandates".