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Serbs take control of UN building in Kosovo, hoist flag

Hundreds of Serbs stormed a UN courthouse in northern Kosovo on Friday, taking control of the site and hoisting a Serbian flag to replace a UN one.

They broke through two gates at the front of the three-story building at about 8:30am and pushed aside UN riot police guarding the courthouse in the Serb-dominated city of Kosovska Mitrovica, a police spokesman said.

Dozens of UN police guards based there did not intervene.

By late afternoon the UN flag had been raised again, but about 100 of the Serbs remained in the compound or locked inside the courthouse, saying they would not leave until they reached a deal with UN officials, Kosovo police said.

"We tried to negotiate, but no one wanted to talk to us," said Miodrag Ralic, one of the Serb protest leaders. "We could not wait any longer."

"We have nothing against international judges," said Nebojsa Jovic, another leader. "We want to cooperate with all non-Albanians and all those who do not recognize independent Kosovo."

Some of the Serbs who took control of the building worked in Serbia's justice system before Kosovo came under UN and NATO control in 1999 and have refused to work under the UN administration.

Following Kosovo's declaration of independence, minority Serbs have threatened to set up parallel offices that report directly to Belgrade.

The attack on the courthouse was condemned by the EU and by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who made a previously planned visit to Kosovo on Friday.

Joachim Ruecker, the top UN official in Kosovo, said on Friday that he had ordered the UN police to retake the court building. He pledged to defend his mandate as head of the UN mission known as UNMIK.

"Those who turned to violence in North Mitrovica have crossed one of UNMIK's red lines. This is completely unacceptable," Ruecker said in a statement. "I have instructed UNMIK police to restore law and order in the north and to ensure that the courthouse is again under UN control."

He said the attackers would be prosecuted and urged Serbian authorities to prevent further such incidents.

The storming of the UN courthouse appeared to have been coordinated with the Serbian government in Belgrade, which has rejected Kosovo's declared statehood and said it would assume authority in northern Kosovo.

Belgrade has adopted the so-called "Action Plan" on Kosovo, which took effect after Kosovo declared independence. Although concrete measures proposed in the plan remain secret, some of them were leaked by the local media and they allegedly include the takeover of the judiciary in the Serb-controlled regions of Kosovo. Serbia did not immediately comment on the allegations that it may have coordinated the seizure of the courthouse.

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

Kosovo Serbs have already tried to take control of a stretch of rail line in northern Kosovo in defiance of Kosovo's government. Hundreds of Serb policemen have handed over their badges and weapons rather than submit to Kosovo authorities.
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