Belgrade [Serbia], May 30: NATO peacekeepers have set up a security fence around three town halls in Kosovo on May 29.
The move is aimed at preventing Serbs from protesting Albanian mayors taking office in some areas of Serb-majority Kosovo after elections they boycotted, according to Reuters.
In the town of Zvecan, Kosovo police, all Albanian after all Serbs left their forces last year, sprayed pepper spray to push crowds of Serbs over the security fence and trying to storm the town hall. , according to Reuters citing witnesses.
In the town of Leposavic, US troops from the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) placed a barbed wire fence around the town hall to protect the building from hundreds of angry Serbs who had gathered nearby. .
In addition, witnesses said KFOR also cordoned off the town hall in ZubinPotok town to protect the building from angry local Serbs.
About 50,000 Serbs living in four municipalities in northern Kosovo avoided the April 23 vote to protest that their demands for more autonomy had not been met.
Voter turnout was 3.47% and local Serbs said they would not work with new mayors in the four municipalities, all of which belong to Albanian parties.
The Serbs demanded that the Kosovo authorities remove the Albanian mayors from the town halls and allow the Belgrade-funded local government to return to their duties.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper