Kicked out of military exercise: 'A mistake'

Kosovo

Criticism of Kosovo's actions - "A mistake to proceed with the elections" 

 

Of:  

 

Niklas Gustafsson

   

Published: Less than 40 min ago  

 

NEWS  

 

The Serbian majority chose to boycott the local elections and turnout landed at 3.5 percent.  

 

Despite warnings from the outside world, Kosovo chose to install four new mayors and clashes broke out.  

 

Now Kosovo is excluded from a military exercise and the US says that more measures against the country may be relevant.  

 

The

EU

and the US last week expressed their disappointment over the Serbs in northern

Kosovo

'

s

decision to boycott the local elections. But criticism has also been directed at Kosovo's way of handling the situation.  

 

The authorities are accused of destabilizing the situation and the EU and the US are warning against any measures that could increase tensions, the BBC reports.  

 

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday evening that the Kosovo authorities are responsible for the clashes, reports Le Monde.  

 

"We have clearly informed the Kosovo authorities that it was a mistake to proceed with the elections," says President Macron. On Twitter,

NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Kosovo must work to calm the situation and not "take any unilateral destabilizing measures".  

 

Kfor soldiers in northern Kosovo on Wednesday. Photo: Bojan Slavkovic / AP  

 

Excluded from military training  

 

Now the country's actions also receive concrete measures - as the US chooses to exclude Kosovo from a military exercise. The US believes that Kosovo has ignored their warnings to defuse tensions and that the relationship between the countries has deteriorated. 

 

"The first indication of this is the decision taken last night by our commander of the European Command, General Cavoli, who ended Kosovo's participation in Defender Europe 23," writes US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier in a statement.  

 

The ambassador also announces that other actions against Kosovo may be relevant.  

 

 

Burning car in the city of Zvecan. Burning car in the city of Zvecan. Photo: AP 

 

Conflict over autonomy  

 

The background to this week's clashes is about the installation of four mayors. 

 

In Kosovo, 90 percent of the population are Kosovar Albanians, but in the northern part of the country they are in the minority. Around 50,000 Serbs live there, who, like Serbia, have not recognized Kosovo's independence and rather see Belgrade as their capital than Pristina, according to Reuters. Independence from Serbia was declared in 2008.  

Soldiers in the town of Zvecan in northern Kosovo. Photo: Bojan Slavkovic / AP  

 

Boycotted the local elections  

 

In March earlier this year, a verbal agreement was concluded, backed by the West, which would cool the mood in the northern part of the country. The Serbs in northern Kosovo were promised more autonomy, something they believe they have not yet received.  

 

Therefore, they chose to boycott the local elections in April.  

 

Before the elections, it was feared that it could become violent. The plan to hold the election in schools was canceled and mobile polling booths were set up instead. A NATO force of more than 3,000 soldiers, from several countries, was present at the election to prevent any disturbances.  

 

The boycott of the election resulted in a turnout of 3.5 percent and four Kosovo Albanian mayors were elected. The Serbs in northern Kosovo believe that they do not accept the mayors as they do not represent them.  

 

In the week the mayors took office and clashes between the NATO-led international peacekeeping force Kosovo Force (Kfor) and Serbian protesters broke out. Several demonstrators and soldiers have been injured in the clashes and NATO has chosen to strengthen its force in the country.