All quiet in KM after Tuesday violence

Peace has been restored to Kosovska Mitrovica following yesterday evening’s incidents. None of those injured in yesterday's incidents are in a life-threatening condition.Northern Kosovska Mitrovica is quiet after yesterday’s violence that flared after a Serb schoolboy was stabbed. All quiet in KM after Tuesday violence Two Kosovo Albanians arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing Nikola Bozovic (16) in Kosovska Mitrovica have been released pending trial, Kosovo Police Service (KPS) regional spokesman Besim Hoti told Tanjug. Hoti pointed out that both suspects, students from Djakovica aged 21 and 22, would be released on bail. “The police have done their part of the job, they’ve taken statements and material proof, as well as a knife from one of them,” said Hoti, adding that the suspects claimed that they had stabbed Bozovic in self-defense, which, the spokesman said, was irrelevant. He said that they would be charged with causing actual bodily harm, that the motives for the attack were still unclear and that this would be the hardest thing to prove. The stabbed sixteen-year-old boy is in stable condition and his life is not endangered, state broadcaster RTS reports, while the Albanians injured in the incident in Kosovska Mitrovica are stable and their condition is not life-threatening. According to Hoti, the Albanian wounded in last night's shooting has undergone surgery and is now in hospital in Pristina. Kosovo Ministry State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic said that he expected the situation in the town to calm, but called for caution, especially from the international forces in the province. He warned that the Serbs should "certainly be wary in future as it's realistic to expect that once EULEX begins addressing ethnically motivated crimes since 1999 in earnest, problems could arise. That's when everyone responsible for security in Kosovo will have to pay special attention to Serb areas as they could become a target." To recap, two other Albanians were also injured in the shooting that came in response to Bozovic's stabbing. In the north of the town, Serbs set fire to a number of Albanian shops and vandalized several cars with Kosovo number plates. After the situation was brought under control, a group of international troops and EULEX police officers remained on the bridge over the Ibar. Southern Mitrovica Mayor Bajram Rexhepi called on “everyone to show restraint to diffuse the tension,” adding that he hoped that KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo Police Service would maintain law and order. Meanwhile, Kosovo Ministar Goran Bogdanovic has called on EU and UN representatives to invest further efforts to protect the Serb population in Kosovo. Following the violence last night, he called on the Serbs in the city not to give in to provocation and endeavor to keep the peace. “It’s clear that it suits someone to cause chaos in Kosovska Mitrovica, I’m afraid that such actions are aimed at destabilizing the Serb community in Kosovo, which we must not allow,” said Bogdanovic. He said that members of the international community in Kosovo had to invest added efforts to prevent these incidents from escalating into violence that could bring unpredictable repercussions for the Serbs in Kosovo. Serbs in the north of the town primarily object to the reaction of international police forces, which, according to them, have “failed the test” on this occasion. Chairman of the Serb National Council in Kosovska Mitrovica Nebojsa Jovic told B92 that protest were planned as a result. “If you ask me, EULEX has flunked the test. I don’t know if they’ve formed those security units of theirs, but if they want to offer guarantees to the at-risk Serb population, how are they to protect them from this murder attempt or how are they to protect them from the next attack if they intervene like they did yesterday,” said Jovic. “The question is whether we can trust them and it raises the question of cooperation with them,” said Jovic. KFOR troops man the bridge over the Ibar (FoNet)

All quiet in KM after Tuesday violence

Two Kosovo Albanians arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing Nikola Božović (16) in Kosovska Mitrovica have been released pending trial, Kosovo Police Service (KPS) regional spokesman Besim Hoti told Tanjug.

Hoti pointed out that both suspects, students from Đakovica aged 21 and 22, would be released on bail.

“The police have done their part of the job, they’ve taken statements and material proof, as well as a knife from one of them,” said Hoti, adding that the suspects claimed that they had stabbed Božović in self-defense, which, the spokesman said, was irrelevant.

He said that they would be charged with causing actual bodily harm, that the motives for the attack were still unclear and that this would be the hardest thing to prove.

The stabbed sixteen-year-old boy is in stable condition and his life is not endangered, state broadcaster RTS reports, while the Albanians injured in the incident in Kosovska Mitrovica are stable and their condition is not life-threatening.

According to Hoti, the Albanian wounded in last night's shooting has undergone surgery and is now in hospital in Priština.

Kosovo Ministry State Secretary Oliver Ivanović said that he expected the situation in the town to calm, but called for caution, especially from the international forces in the province.

He warned that the Serbs should "certainly be wary in future as it's realistic to expect that once EULEX begins addressing ethnically motivated crimes since 1999 in earnest, problems could arise. That's when everyone responsible for security in Kosovo will have to pay special attention to Serb areas as they could become a target."

To recap, two other Albanians were also injured in the shooting that came in response to Božović's stabbing.

In the north of the town, Serbs set fire to a number of Albanian shops and vandalized several cars with Kosovo number plates.

After the situation was brought under control, a group of international troops and EULEX police officers remained on the bridge over the Ibar.

Southern Mitrovica Mayor Bajram Rexhepi called on “everyone to show restraint to diffuse the tension,” adding that he hoped that KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo Police Service would maintain law and order.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Ministar Goran Bogdanović has called on EU and UN representatives to invest further efforts to protect the Serb population in Kosovo.

Following the violence last night, he called on the Serbs in the city not to give in to provocation and endeavor to keep the peace.

“It’s clear that it suits someone to cause chaos in Kosovska Mitrovica, I’m afraid that such actions are aimed at destabilizing the Serb community in Kosovo, which we must not allow,” said Bogdanović.

He said that members of the international community in Kosovo had to invest added efforts to prevent these incidents from escalating into violence that could bring unpredictable repercussions for the Serbs in Kosovo.

Serbs in the north of the town primarily object to the reaction of international police forces, which, according to them, have “failed the test” on this occasion.

Chairman of the Serb National Council in Kosovska Mitrovica Nebojša Jović told B92 that protest were planned as a result.

“If you ask me, EULEX has flunked the test. I don’t know if they’ve formed those security units of theirs, but if they want to offer guarantees to the at-risk Serb population, how are they to protect them from this murder attempt or how are they to protect them from the next attack if they intervene like they did yesterday,” said Jović.

“The question is whether we can trust them and it raises the question of cooperation with them,” said Jović.