Russia, West divided over UN report on Mitrovica

07/08/2008

NEW YORK, United States -- The UN Security Council discussed an internal report Wednesday (August 6th) regarding the March 17th unrest in Mitrovica that killed a UNMIK policeman and injured 150 people. Russia insisted that UNMIK representatives were responsible for the unrest and that the decision to storm a courthouse seized by Kosovo Serbs was wrong. UK Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce blamed "Serbian extremists", who she says "were looking for ways to open the door to a soft division of Kosovo".

Separately Wednesday, Kosovo police questioned three more youths, two Serbs and one Albanian, in relation to two incidents in Mitrovica late Monday. That makes a total of six arrests following brawls that injured four people, including a UNMIK police officer. (Koha ditore, Zeri, Express - 07/08/08; BBC, RTK, Kohavision - 06/08/08)