To fend of the rioting by Serbian youths in the city of Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, February 26 as an attempt to keep them at bay from the United States consulate. This is one of numerous protests after Kosovo’s independence and the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by the United States.
Recently, the United States embassy in Belgrade, Serbia was raided and burned. One charred body which is still unidentified was discovered by firefighters.
The United States Security Council and the European Union (EU) remains split over the issue of Kosovo’s independence. Russia has sided with Serbia in condemning the move made by Kosovo. This has already strained ties between Russia and the United States even further. Ties have already been strained by concerns of the missile shield system.
In the case of Kosovo, Russia fears that it will give a signal to Georgia’s breakaway states and could possibly cause a new conflict in the Balkans.
Serbia has removed all envoys from nations such as the United States that have recognized Kosovo’s independence.
In the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the violent protestors split from the almost 10,000 more peaceful protesters. The group of youths that split from the bigger peaceful group broke shop windows and attacked police with throwing stones. Police responded by firing tear gas. Several officers were injured as a result of the rioting.
The attack by the hooligans was condemned by the more peaceful protestors. A former Bosnian Serb soldier shouted to one of them: “This is not what I fought for!”
Kosovo is mostly ethnic-Albanian. Back in 1999, former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic made a bloody and violent crackdown on the ethnic-Albanians before NATO and the UN cracked down the Serb forces. Both NATO and the UN administered Kosovo’s government.
Amidst the chaos, NATO forces remain for security. Recently, NATO had to seal off the northern borders of Kosovo.
Regardless of the violence, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said that Serbia can forget about reclaiming this part.
“We understand and respect peaceful reactions, guaranteed by the law, but we will not allow the territorial integrity of Kosovo to be compromised,” Thaci had said.
“I am constantly in contact with NATO to prevent anyone from touching even one inch of Kosovo’s territory,” he added. Thaci himself is a former guerilla commander who fought against the Serbs back in 1999.