Sunday, August 8, 1999 Published at 11:36 GMT 12:36 UK
Troops in new Kosovo stand-off
French K-For troops are trying to keep Serbs and Albanians apart
A confrontation is building up for a second day between French peacekeeping troops and Kosovo Albanians in the northern town of Mitrovica.
Overnight a rocket propelled grenade was fired from the Albanian to the Serb side and a number of shots were fired in the vicinity of an Albanian cafe.
On Saturday French troops used armoured cars to close the bridge and keep the Albanian and Serb demonstrators apart after clashes broke out.
The trouble began when Kosovo Albanians assembled for a political rally at the bridge. When their leaders failed to turn up, the Kosovo Albanians tried to cross the river, but were confronted by the Serbs on the other side of the bridge, some chanting provocative slogans.
The heavily-armed French peacekeepers tried to defuse the angry crowd as they hurled stones at each other.
At least four Kosovo Albanians were detained, and some handcuffed to lampposts by the French troops. Some of the protesters were injured, though none seriously.
"Our first priority is to save lives. If we had allowed them through, some might have been lost," he said.
Nato had been hoping both sides would eventually sign an agreement on freedom of movement in the town, but a French Nato spokesman admitted there was now little chance of a deal.
Most of the town's shops and factories as well as the university and hospital are located on the Serbian side of the river.
Many Kosovo Albanians say they were evicted from their homes on the Serb side during the war and both the Serbs and the French peacekeepers have prevented them from returning.
An armed international civilian police is due to begin patrols of the province this weekend in an effort to curb a growing number of inter-communal attacks, primarily by Kosovo Albanians seeking revenge on Serbs.