SERBS STORM UN COURTHOUSE WITH HAND GRENADE EXPLOSIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2008 17:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hundreds of Serbs stormed a United Nations courthouse
in northern Kosovo on Friday, pushing aside UN riot police guarding
the building and taking control of the site.

A spokesman for Kosovo’s police said the Kosovo Serbs broke through
two entrance gates and then replaced the UN flag with a Serbian one.

"The regional UN representative is negotiating with Serb leaders
to overcome the situation," said Besim Hoti, spokesman for Kosovo’s
police in the Serb-dominated city of Kosovska Mitrovica, where the
court is located.

The Serbs have held daily protests in front of the court since Kosovo
declared independence from Serbia last month. Dozens of UN riot police
did not intervene when the protesters forced their way in on Friday.

During earlier protests outside the court, UN and local staff were
forced to evacuate after Serbs rioters targeted the building with
several small hand grenade explosions.

The storming of the UN courthouse appeared to have been coordinated
with Belgrade, which has defied Kosovo’s declared statehood by
saying it will assume authority in northern Kosovo, the Associated
Press repots.

Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority proclaimed independence from
Serbia on February 17, a move that has been recognized by more than
25 countries, including major Western powers like the U.S., U.K.,
France and Germany.

Russia, Spain and some other states oppose independence of the
breakaway province.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress