Het voorzitterschap van de EU veroordeelt geweld in Kosovo (en)
The European Union has "strongly condemned" violence that erupted in the northern part of the town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, which has left at least 80 Serb civilians and 63 members of the international security forces there injured.
"The EU presidency strongly believes that there can be no place for violence in Kosovo and that a multi-ethnic Kosovo can only be built through co-operation of all its communities, while fully respecting the rule of law and democracy," reads the statement from Slovenia, which currently sits at the EU's helm.
The statement continues by saying that the 27-nation bloc fully supports the efforts of the UN-led police and NATO-led troops, KFOR, to restore law and order.
The unrest - the worst since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February - was triggered after some 100 UN policemen (UNMIK) cracked down on protesters who had seized the building housing the UN court in Mitrovica and held it since last Friday (14 March).
Mitrovica is populated by Albanians in the south and some 40,000 Serbs north of the River Ibar, which passes through the town.
The police took down Serbian flags and arrested 53 Serbs, including the court staff, who had been preventing their Albanian colleagues from entering the court. Protesters blocked the police vehicles, throwing rocks and petrol bombs, according to the BBC. UN and NATO vehicles were set on fire.
UN police witdrew from the Serb part of Mitrovica and the NATO-led troops quietened down the situation, using "both lethal and non-lethal means", including the firing of warning shots.
The Brussels headquaters of the North Atlantic alliance condemned the violence "in the strongest terms" and stated that its troops "will respond decisively to any form of force in line with its UN mandate" in the region.
Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci accused Belgrade of "inspiring violence". It was "regretful that the Serbian government has not learnt any lessons from the past," he was cited as saying by AFP.
According to the EU's chief diplomat, Javier Solana, the union is "very worried by the situation".
"I call on all those who can help pacify the situation to really do everything in their powers," he added, according to Belgrade radio station B92.
On the other hand, Serbian President Boris Tadic described the crack down as "excessive" and warned of "an escalation of unrest acros all the territory of the province".
A similar message came from Russian ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, accusing KFOR of using "disproportionate force". "Given that there are lot of hidden guns in Kosovo, there could be a lot of bloodshed," he added.
Outgoing Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said he has already "begun consultations with Russia over the necessary mutual reaction in order to halt all violence against the Serbs," according to AFP.