Wave of violence hits north after mayoral elections

Sitting behind a bare black desk, in a small whitewashed room in northern Kosovo, village mayor Izmir Zeqiri is still getting used to the glare of international attention. "It wasn't my intention to be a celebrity," he said as his mobile phone rang on repeat. "We thought more people would run, and we didn't imagine we could win."

- Xhemajl Rexha ZUBIN POTOK and Jack Butcher

This isn't false modesty. Zeqiri is one of a few hundred ethnic Albanians in the Serb-majority municipality of Zubin Potok, and his candidacy in April's elections was a symbolic gesture. But when Serb List, the Belgradebacked party that controls much of public life in the Serb-majority northern municipalities, decided to boycott the poll and ordered Serb voters to follow suit, Zeqiri was propelled into the eye of a storm.

He won 197 votes, on a turnout of 6%, 17 more than his only opponent, so last week he was sworn into office. Albanian mayors also took the oath in the three other northern municipalities after even lower turnouts.

The boycotting Serbs, furious at the prospect of being ruled by ethnic Albanians, took to the streets after the prime minister, Albin Kurti, ordered the new mayors to take up their posts. Tensions were so high officials had to be escorted into their offices by police.

Last week, Nato peacekeepers, concerned that clashes could escalate, sent troops to the town halls. They were met by demonstrators who included masked men with guns and explosives. The Z symbol now synonymous with Russia's invasion of Ukraine was also daubed across vehicles. Thirty Nato troops were injured.