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Kosovo, a country surrounded by Albania, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria, has recently won a long and deadly battle for its independence. The fight started in 1968 and continued until February 17, 2008 when Kosovo officially declared itself independent.
In 1968, Kosovo had their first stab at independence. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo held a demonstration and many people were arrested. In 1991, Kosovo was recognized as a republic by Albania. Later than year, The Pro-independence Kosovo Liberation Army took responsibility for the bombing of police. Kosovo declared itself independent of Yugoslavia in 1992. In July and September of 1998, the Kosovo Liberation Army took control of 40 percent of Kosovo, but was then attacked by Serb forces. Twenty-Two Albanians were found dead in central Kosovo. Later in 1998, U.S. president, Bill Clinton, urged NATO allies to authorize air strikes against Serb forces. Early in 1999, 45 Albanians were slain outside of Racak and Belgrade rejected the international peace deal signed by Albanians. Starting on March 24, 1999 NATO started a 78 day air strike against Yugoslavia and 800,000 Albanians living in Kosovo were pushed out into Albania and Macedonia by Serb forces.
Milosevic refused to admit defeat in the 2000 presidential election and caused mass protests on October 6, 2000. Milosevic then was extradited for war crimes, on June 28, 2001, but died, in 2006, before the trial was over. In February 2002, Kosovo people elected Ibrahim Rugova as president. In October 2003, Kosovo Albanian leaders and Serbia talked for the first time since 1999. March 2004 brought the worst mob fighting since the Kosovo war in 1999. In 2006 Rugova, the Kosovo president died of lung cancer and the U.S. talked with Kosovo about its future. In October 2006, Kosovo was declared part of Serbia.
This past year, UN Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, gave Kosovo guidelines to follow in order to receive eventual statehood. In June, George W. Bush encouraged Kosovo to gain independence soon. In July, Kosovo's prime minister said that U.N. suggestions for independence were failed and Kosovo would be independent by the end of the year. Kosovo officially declared itself independent on February 17, 2008.
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23292262/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1589503.htm
http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/special/kosovo/maps/kosovomap.gif
http://www.steinbergforcongress.com/2008/02/new-country-and-new-war.html
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