(30 Apr 2000) English/Nat
During the Serb orthodox Easter weekend, K-FOR troops are escorting Serbs to and from Church services.
Tensions remain high on both sides of this ethnically divided town and hundreds of K-FOR troops are providing security for Serb civilians who fear Albanians want revenge following clashes on Saturday.
In a reminder of the fragile nature of peace in Kosovo, French peacekeepers clashed with hundreds of Serbs on Saturday in a suburb of Mitrovica.
Three Albanian houses, one U-N police car and 17 other U-N vehicles were burned or damaged.
The riot began after K-FOR peacekeepers brought about 80 ethnic Albanians to the predominantly Serb, northern part of the town to visit the homes they had fled last year.
A standoff developed between the two groups, after the Serbs claimed that some of the Albanians were not former residents.
Clashes started as troops moved in.
K-FOR troops had to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"At 1745 four trucks of Albanians coming back from the South of the city were stopped by Serbs from the Northern part of the city. Some negotiation started to prevent any further problem. Two hours later at 1945 the situation worsened and a company of riot control were air lifted by chopper to the monument in the city. At 2030 three Albanian houses were burnt near the monument and though it seemed to get quieter we've had stones thrown at us."
SUPER CAPTION: Lt. Bouysson, French Spokesman for K-FOR
On Sunday Serbs were being escorted to and from church services by K-FOR troops concerned at Albanian reprisals.
Italian, Danish and French K-FOR soldiers, backed up by UNMIK Police and the Gendarmerie, set up a secure corridor stretching north to south for Serbs to walk to the Serb orthodox church.
The city's only orthodox church is in southern Mitrovica which has an ethnic Albanian majority.
But violence has led them to practice their faith in Zvecane, a few kilometres north of the city.
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