UNMIK-KFOR Joint Press Release/PR/1729
PRISTINA – Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (PDSRSG) in Kosovo Larry Rossin and COMKFOR Lt.-Gen. Xavier Bout de Marnhac condemn the resort to lethal violence, including direct fire, taken by a mob today at the Mitrovica Court house.
The PDSRSG and COMKFOR underlined that the violence directed at UNMIK police and KFOR personnel, which had re-established control of the Court in a joint operation this morning, is a flagrant breach of UN Security Council resolution 1244. They urged all communities to exercise calm.
They said further that the resort to violence crosses one of the red lines that have been clearly articulated to the leaders of Kosovo Serbs in the north and to officials in Belgrade, adding that UNMIK and KFOR will reassert control of north Mitrovica.
As a temporary measure, UNMIK police from north Mitrovica are redeploying outside of the city while KFOR re-establishes control. UNMIK police, supported by KFOR, remain in control at Gates 1 and 31 and in other parts of the Mitrovica region.
The operation by UNMIK Police and KFOR to restore law and order in northern Mitrovica by re-establishing control of the UNMIK Court house began at approximately 5:30am this morning. The Court house had been forcibly occupied by a mob on Friday, 14 March.
