KFOR soldiers clash with demonstrators in the Kosovan town of Zvecan
Keystone / Georgi Licovski
Switzerland has joined international condemnation of violent demonstrations in Kosovo that injured 30 Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeepers.
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Local police and KFOR soldiers clashed with Serb protestors in the north of the country, including the town of Zvecan, following the appointment of Albanian mayors.
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KFOR peacekeepers from Italy and Hungary were among those hurt, but no Swiss personnel were injured.
“Switzerland condemns the violent attacks in Zvecan against KFOR, there to secure a peace and stable environment,” the Swiss foreign ministry tweeted on Tuesday.
“Any act that could be interpreted as provocation must be avoided to restore calm in the north.”
In addition to injured KFOR peacekeepers, some 50 demonstrators needed hospital treatment as clashes erupted involving rocks, Molotov cocktails, tear gas, stun grenades and firearms.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, has a majority Albanian population. But Serbs form the majority in the northern part of the country.
Swiss armed forces have been involved with Swisscoy in the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping mission since its inception in 1999 at the end of the Kosovo war.
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Government wants to extend Swisscoy mission to 2026
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Currently, the maximum number of Swisscoy personnel is 195 members of the armed forces. Parliament must approve the deployment because it lasts longer than three weeks and involves more than 100 army personnel. The current mandate expires at the end of 2023.
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Kosovo PM would welcome more Swiss soldiers
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Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti has spoken out in favour of strengthening SWISSCOY, the Swiss armed forces’ contingent in Kosovo.
Switzerland urges détente between Serbia and Kosovo
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Switzerland has repeated its calls for all parties involved in the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo not to aggravate the situation any further.
Government wants to extend Swisscoy mission to 2026
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If parliamentarians agree, Switzerland’s contribution to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo will be extended by another three years.
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Political change in Kosovo has stoked hopes among the diaspora in Switzerland that things are finally going to improve in the country.
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Swiss soldiers have been on the ground in Kosovo for 12 years and the new mandate approved by parliament on Monday includes the possibility of boosting the 220-strong contingent at short notice by 80 additional troops for 12 months. The move has raised timeworn questions about Swiss neutrality, the justification for the mission and how best…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.