Serbia sends second request for UN inquiry

The government has sent its second request to the UN to investigate the violence in Kosovo this week. The government sent its request to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for an inquiry to determine whether UN forces had used excessive force in clashes with Serbs in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on March 17. Serbia sends second request for UN inquiry After Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic sent a request to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday, the Kosovo Ministry followed suit last night. Ban’s spokesman Brendan Varma told B92 that the secretary-general had only received the foreign minister’s request so far. Varma said that Ban had been made aware of Jeremic’s request. He said that Ban would look over the request and report back soon on the UN’s position on the clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica. “The secretary general has already condemned the events in Kosovska Mitrovica. He said that the decision of the Serbs to take over the court building went against Resolution 1244 and presented a challenge to maintaining peace and order. It is now most important to refrain from any kind of violence and continue constructive dialogue. Unfortunately, it came to a point where UNMIK and KFOR needed to use force as a response to the attacks, which is unfortunate. At the same time, we want to stress that the use of firearms against United Nations personnel was completely unjustified,” the spokesman said. Speaking to Radio Television Serbia, Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardzic dismissed UNMIK’s claims that its officers had not used firearms, showing a sniper bullet removed from an injured protestor. Kosovo Serb representative Oliver Ivanovic also confirmed that live ammunition had been used in addition to rubber bullets during the violence in Kosovska Mitrovica. “The second man hit, Vukomanovic, was hit with a sniper bullet. All the witnesses say he was not anywhere near the fence and was not directly endangering people’s safety. I would like the investigation to identify as soon as possible why the sniper was aiming right for the head. From that distance, there can only have been cruel intentions, or to preempt something. I hope that the UNMIK police will uncover this soon, because there is a lot of room for speculation,” Ivanovic told B92. “Minister Samardzic needs to remember to go and see this man and his family, because I am afraid that this will pass and the incident will be forgotten about, and it will remain only his problem and the problem of his family, which will probably be left without its only breadwinner” he stressed.

Serbia sends second request for UN inquiry

After Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić sent a request to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Monday, the Kosovo Ministry followed suit last night.

Ban’s spokesman Brendan Varma told B92 that the secretary-general had only received the foreign minister’s request so far.

Varma said that Ban had been made aware of Jeremić’s request. He said that Ban would look over the request and report back soon on the UN’s position on the clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica.

“The secretary general has already condemned the events in Kosovska Mitrovica. He said that the decision of the Serbs to take over the court building went against Resolution 1244 and presented a challenge to maintaining peace and order. It is now most important to refrain from any kind of violence and continue constructive dialogue. Unfortunately, it came to a point where UNMIK and KFOR needed to use force as a response to the attacks, which is unfortunate. At the same time, we want to stress that the use of firearms against United Nations personnel was completely unjustified,” the spokesman said.

Speaking to Radio Television Serbia, Kosovo Minister Slobodan Samardžić dismissed UNMIK’s claims that its officers had not used firearms, showing a sniper bullet removed from an injured protestor.

Kosovo Serb representative Oliver Ivanović also confirmed that live ammunition had been used in addition to rubber bullets during the violence in Kosovska Mitrovica.

“The second man hit, Vukomanović, was hit with a sniper bullet. All the witnesses say he was not anywhere near the fence and was not directly endangering people’s safety. I would like the investigation to identify as soon as possible why the sniper was aiming right for the head. From that distance, there can only have been cruel intentions, or to preempt something. I hope that the UNMIK police will uncover this soon, because there is a lot of room for speculation,” Ivanović told B92.

“Minister Samardžić needs to remember to go and see this man and his family, because I am afraid that this will pass and the incident will be forgotten about, and it will remain only his problem and the problem of his family, which will probably be left without its only breadwinner” he stressed.