On 29 May, a group of ethnic Serb protesters clashed with troops of the NATO peacekeeping force KFOR in the town of Zvečan in northern Kosovo. Demonstrators were angry at the Kosovo government’s decision to instal ethnic Albanian mayors, elected in a poll boycotted by the region’s majority ethnic Serb population, in the country’s northern municipalities. The mayors’ installation and ensuing clashes followed months of escalating tensions and efforts by the EU to return the parties to pragmatic negotiations. Finally, they discuss the risks of escalation and prospects for resolving the crisis. For more in-depth analysis of the topics discussed in this episode, check out our latest Q&A Behind the Renewed Troubles in Northern Kosovo, our EU Watch List entry Kosovo-Serbia: Finding a Way Forward and our Kosovo country page.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 14, 2023 04:07 UTC