Thread: Border Backfire: 'Civil war unfolding in Kosovo'

Border Backfire: 'Civil war unfolding in Kosovo'

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Sep 28, 2011

NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo have brought in more troops to a disputed border crossing in the ethnic Serb north, a day after several people were hurt in clashes. Both sides blame each other for starting the violence, which saw rubber bullets and tear gas used by Alliance forces. Anger rose in late July when Kosovan authorities tried to seize the frontiers to enforce a trade embargo. Peace analyst John Laughland says the region was doing fine until the EU stepped in.

RT - Clashes on Serbia-Kosovo border: 10 wounded

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Sep 27, 2011

A NATO spokesperson has confirmed that its troops fired on Serb protesters in the Mitrovica region. According to the statement, they were responding to an attack by the crowd.

Figures for the number of wounded vary, but hospital officials say at least six Serb protesters and four NATO soldiers were injured. The Alliance's representative in Kosovo, Kai Gudenoge, said Serb protesters threw pipe bombs at troops stationed along the border between Serbia and Kosovo. One soldier had to be evacuated for treatment due to the gravity of his injuries. Three others are being treated locally.

The Serbian side, however, claims the attack was initiated by the KFOR peacekeepers. Eyewitnesses claim the troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try and disperse a crowd protesting at the Kosovar government's attempt to take over two border crossings in the north previously controlled by neighboring Serbia. According to Serb officials, at least 14 protesters were injured -- and doctors view their condition as "very serious".

According to Serbian-Canadian documentary filmmaker Boris Malagursky, KFOR's efforts did not stop with rubber bullets and tear gas.

"At the moment, German KFOR soldiers are putting barbed wire around entire Serbian communities, turning them essentially into ghettos," Malagursky told RT. "And the last time we saw German soldiers setting up barbed wire was during the World War II."

"NATO is not really contributing to the peaceful resolution of the problem," Malagursky argued. "They are simply pushing ahead with their interests in North Kosovo, which are mainly economic, while the Serbs are pushed to accept everything the international community thinks is important in regard to Kosovo."

Back in July, violence erupted when Kosovar authorities tried to take control of the border posts after Prime Minister Hashim Thaci ordered a trade ban on Serbia.

The conflict resulted in the death of a policeman. Now, neither side wants to take action for fear it could once again ignite tension.

Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 2008 with the support of the US and some EU countries. But Serbia and northern parts of Kosovo, as well as Russia, China and some other states, do not recognize its mandate.

KFOR shooting at Serb civilians in Kosovo - Jarinje 27.09.2011

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Sep 27, 2011

KFOR shooting at Serb civilians in Kosovo - Jarinje

Кфор пуца на Србе на Јарињу! kfor puca na Srbe na Jarinju

NATO swaps bread for bullets at Serbia-Kosovo border

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Sep 28, 2011

Violence has erupted on the Serbia - Kosovo border, with seven local Serbs injured in an exchange of fire between protestors and NATO peacekeepers at a disputed frontier crossing. Clashes broke out after NATO forces tried to get rid of barricades set up by Serbs. NATO claims it acted only in response to attacks by Kosovo Serbs - and say troops just used rubber bullets and tear gas in self-defence. However reports have emerged in Serbia that NATO forces used real bullets. That's according to the Tanyug news agency in the country, which has shown X-ray images of gunshot wounds. Nebojsa Malic, a Serbian Historian and author says that NATO actions only worsen the tense situation.

Four NATO troops injured in Kosovo clash

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Sep 27, 2011

http://www.euronews.net/nocomment/ Four NATO troops from the KFOR peackeeping force in Kosovo were injured after improvised explosive devices were thrown at their positions near a contested border crossing in predominantly-Serb north of the country, a NATO spokesman said on Tuesday.

Kosovo on knife-edge as NATO boosts troops at border

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Sep 29, 2011

Kosovo remains on a knife-edge, after NATO reinforced its presence at the northern border with Serbia. Anger boiled over on Tuesday at the troubled checkpoints when a dozen people were hurt in clashes, as NATO tried to dismantle the Serb barricades. RT correspondent Alexey Yaroshevsky is in Belgrade.