Kosovo Police Chief Fired Over Clashes

Supporter of a Kosovo youth group called "Self Determination" is arrested by riot police in Kosovo's capital Pristina on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007 after a protest against a U.N. plan turned violent. Thousands of ethnic Albanians demonstrated Saturday in downtown Pristina, protesting against a U.N. proposal for Kosovo they say does not go far enough in granting the province independence. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) (Visar Kryeziu - AP)

PRISTINA, Serbia -- Kosovo's top U.N. official on Wednesday fired the police commissioner after weekend clashes between police and ethnic Albanian protesters led to the deaths of two people. Joachim Ruecker, the U.N. official in charge of administering Kosovo, said he had demanded the resignation of U.N. police commissioner Stephen Curtis, effective immediately, in the wake of the violence.

On Saturday, about 3,000 ethnic Albanians broke through a security cordon and tried to march toward a government building in the provincial capital, Pristina, to protest a U.N. plan for self-rule for the disputed Serbian province.

Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas, and clashed with protesters. Two people _ Man Balaj, 30, and Arben Xheladini, 35 _ were killed by rubber bullets while two others were seriously injured. Dozens were treated for the effects of tear gas.

The clashes prompted Fatmir Rexhepi, Kosovo's interior minister, to resign Monday.

Curtis, from Britain, had pledged there would be an investigation into the deaths. In the protest's aftermath, he said protesters "compelled the police to take defensive measures to restore order." However, Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku said there was excessive use of force.

Ruecker said the police commissioner's resignation "would follow the principle of political accountability," adding that it would not affect the investigation.

There was no immediate comment from Curtis, who commanded 1,500 U.N. police officers and the 7,300-member Kosovo police force. His Norwegian deputy, Trygve Kalleberg, said the investigation focused on the "tactical reasons" for the use of rubber bullets.

Kosovo has been run by a U.N. mission since mid-1999 when NATO's air war halted Serb forces' crackdown on ethnic Albanians separatists.

The ethnic Albanian leadership has welcomed the U.N. proposal, but the protesters criticized the U.N. proposal for failing to give them the full independence they wanted and offering too many concessions to minority Serbs.

Serbia has rejected the plan, insisting the province remain within its territory.

The proposal _ which must be approved by the U.N. Security Council to take effect _ envisions self-rule for Kosovo, including a flag, anthem, army, constitution and the right to join international organizations. It also gives minority Serbs more control over their own local governance.

Ethnic Albanian and Serbian leaders are to resume talks on the plan Feb. 21 in Vienna, Austria.