Palma.Spokesmen for both groups of police were reporting no further incidents yesterday but were cautious after Monday's riots following the death of a Nigerian who fell suddenly from a fifth floor flat in Son Gotleu.
The Nigerians had initially blamed the rival gypsy community for the death of Efosa Okosun, but police had subsequently discounted the implication of a third party in the accident.
The police said that although there had been no repeated conflict between the two communities, shifts of at least 25 officers were going to be on duty night and day to make sure peace continued. The police were not clear however, on just how long their reinforcements were going to remain in place. We'll stay just as long as we're needed, the spokesman said. Tensions, he claimed, had calmed over the past few days after an angry crowd of Nigerians accused the gypsies of being directly responsible for the death of their countryman.
A day after the death of Efosa Okosun, some Nigerians started vandalising public property and vehicles in Son Gotleu and confronting the police. Five arrests were made.
Amongst the officers still on duty in Son Gotleu are police units from other areas of Spain, including Madrid and Valencia who are used in the Balearics to heighten security in the summer season in the Balearics, and even the special operations team who are responsible for ensuring the safety of the Spanish royal family when they holiday on Majorca. Representatives from the Nigerian and gypsy communities nevertheless denied yesterday that they were at war, promising that they would do all in their power to keep the peace.