JOSÉ DOMINGO GUARIGLIA
UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (IPS)- The Chief of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Robert Sorenson, expressed concern over the violence taking place in the border between Kosovo and Serbia during the last few days, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Martin Nesirky, told reporters Thursday.
Sorenson called on all parties to strengthen the dialogue and stop the violence following attacks by Serbs to a security post in the northern Kosovo, bordering Serbia, on Wednesday afternoon.
The attackers set fire to the area to protest against the Kosovo independence and the intervention of the Kosovo’s Police to gain control of the gates 1 and 31 at the border. As a result of the events, one policeman died and four resulted injured.
NATO forces took the administration of the border on Thursday, especially in the customs of Jarinje and Brnjak, 69 kilometres and 57 kilometres respectively from the capital Pristina.
The Chief of UNMIK expressed the will to assist the populations involved in the clashes in order to end with the conflict and restore the order.
The mandate of UNMIK was established by the UN Security Council in 1999 under the Resolution 1244.
The main goal of the 418-personnel Mission is to ensure peace for the inhabitants of Kosovo and bring stability to the western Balkans zone.
Since 1999, Kosovo has been controlled by international organizations and, in June 2011, 76 nations recognised Kosovo as an independent State, while Serbia considers it an autonomous province in the Serbian territory.
The independence of Kosovo was proclaimed by the Kosovo’s Parliament in February 2008. It was part of the extinct Yugoslavia.
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