K. Albanians "to send police to north"

A Kosovo Albanian government minister said in Pristina that "special forces" of the Kosovo police would be sent to the Serb north. Bajram Rexhepi, who is the Pristina government's interior minister, said such a move would come in order to secure "peace and order". K. Albanians "to send police to north" He told Albanian language daily Koha Ditore that Kosovo police, KPS, has a "signed contract" with the EU mission, EULEX, that enables it to make such moves. Rexhepi described the personnel he had in mind as "special police forces for operative protection". "There are Serb policemen within the special unit. They will be sent there to react in order to dispel doubts that these units are against the Serb community," said he. "They will be tasked with helping restore order and law and if there is need for their help, they will have the right to go to Leposavic, to the border," Rexhepi stated, in reference to the town on the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo. The newspaper also reports that the minister "promised that order would be established in (Kosovska) Mitrovica as well". The areas of the province north of the Ibar River are predominantly inhabited by Serbs who do not recognize the authority of the government in Pristina, or its unilateral independence declaration made in early 2008. Last week, one man was killed and 11 others were injured when in an attack as a crowd of Serbs protested against an office the Kosovo Albanian government opened in the northern part of the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica. The incident was discussed during the emergency session of the UN Security Council, called by Serbia.

K. Albanians "to send police to north"

He told Albanian language daily Koha Ditore that Kosovo police, KPS, has a "signed contract" with the EU mission, EULEX, that enables it to make such moves.

Rexhepi described the personnel he had in mind as "special police forces for operative protection".

"There are Serb policemen within the special unit. They will be sent there to react in order to dispel doubts that these units are against the Serb community," said he.

"They will be tasked with helping restore order and law and if there is need for their help, they will have the right to go to Leposavić, to the border," Rexhepi stated, in reference to the town on the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo.

The newspaper also reports that the minister "promised that order would be established in (Kosovska) Mitrovica as well".

The areas of the province north of the Ibar River are predominantly inhabited by Serbs who do not recognize the authority of the government in Priština, or its unilateral independence declaration made in early 2008.

Last week, one man was killed and 11 others were injured when in an attack as a crowd of Serbs protested against an office the Kosovo Albanian government opened in the northern part of the ethnically divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica. The incident was discussed during the emergency session of the UN Security Council, called by Serbia.