International officials regained control today of a UN court in the flashpoint town of Mitrovica that ethnic Serbs took eight months ago in protest at Kosovo's declaration of independence.
The Serb minority of some 120,000 people among two million Albanians rejects Kosovo's secession from Serbia.
Kosovo's Serbs, financially backed by Serbia, pledged never to accept a European Union judicial and police mission that is set to deploy. They insist on the UN administration of the region as agreed in 1999.
Two international judges and two prosecutors entered the court house today after it had been secured by dozens of international police officers. No incidents were reported.
"In this initial phase of the reopening, the prosecutors and international judges will only handle urgent criminal cases, and apply UNMIK law and procedure. Civil cases will not be heard," the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said in a statement.
"In the next phase, local judicial workers and court staff would be introduced. This would increase capacity to deal with more cases," it said.
The court will officially start working on Monday.
Mitrovica police chief Milija Milosevic said that the opening of the court will help his forces establish law and order in northern Mitrovica region.
Reuters