Kosovo Independence Day 2024 (Kosovo): Five Facts about Kosovo

Kosovo Independence Day 2024 (Kosovo): Kosovo celebrates Independence Day on February 17 to commemorate its 2008 independence proclamation. After a brutal battle from March 5, 1998, to June 11, 1999, Kosovo, the second-youngest nation in the world, declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.

The intense struggle between Serbia and Montenegro’s Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Kosovo Albanian rebel group K.L.A. received wide international coverage. NATO launched airstrikes in March 1999 to conclude the war. After that, Yugoslav forces left Kosovo.

The History of Kosovo Independence Day

Many people consider the Kosovo War to be the most violent event in Europe since World War II, resulting in a staggering loss of 13,000 lives. Despite this, the tragedy of the conflict continues to reverberate in the present day.

Most people describe the Republic of Kosovo as predominantly ethnic Albanian, taking its name from the Serbian “Field of the Blackbirds” province. It is impossible to discuss her history without acknowledging the proximity of Serbia. In the fourth century B.C., the Kingdom of Dardania gained independence in what is now modern-day Kosovo.

The Roman Empire annexed the region in the first century B.C. The region merged with the Byzantine Empire, the Bulgarian Empire, and the Serbian medieval republics during the Middle Ages. Following this, the Ottoman Empire seized power. The Kingdom of Serbia annexed Kosovo in 1913, and later in 1918, Yugoslavia was established.

Following decades of maltreatment and oppression of ethnic Albanians by former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, the Kosovo conflict began. Before Kosovo, Serbs and Albanians had long-standing conflicts. A division was suggested to relieve the tension, but the 2008 proclamation of independence reinforced the situation.

On May 18, 2001, Nebojša Čović, the Vice President of Serbia, proposed the establishment of two entities in Kosovo and Metohija, one Serbian and one Albanian. In 2008, Kosovo boldly proclaimed its independence from Serbia. That decision was met with both acquiescence and rejection.

The United States and most European Union members gave their assent; Serbia, Russia, and several other countries, including the United Nations, did not recognize that decision. However, in 2010, the International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Kosovo, asserting that it in no way violated international law.

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FAQs for Kosovo Independence Day

When did the Kosovo War begin?

The 1998–1999 Kosovo crisis began with separatist movements in her area and escalated when ethnic Serbs and Albanians clashed.

In what manner did the Kosovo War conclude?

The Military Technical Agreement, also known as the Kumanovo Agreement, established peace. On June 9, 1999, in Kumanovo, Macedonia, the International Security Force (K.F.O.R.) and the governments of Yugoslavia and Serbia signed the agreement. As a result, the conflict came to an end.

How do people observe Kosovo Independence Day?

Despite several traditions, most people in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, celebrate in the streets.

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Five Facts about Kosovo that one should know

1. Mother Teresa was a Kosovo resident. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, the former capital of Kosovo Vilayet, an Ottoman Empire province in North Macedonia.

2. Reportedly comprising 41% of the country’s total land area, the forests of Kosovo have the potential to catalyze a significant transformation.

3. A society predominantly Muslim. Due to the Ottoman Empire’s enforcement of Islamic authority, the Muslim population in the tiny state far outnumbers the Christian population.

4. Albans constitute the vast majority. Officially, 92.93 percent of Kosovo’s total population is Albanian; therefore, Albanian is one of the country’s two official languages, alongside Serbian.

5. The recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign nation. Kosovo holds the recognition of 23 out of 28 members of the European Union (EU) and over 100 members of the United Nations (UN) as an independent republic.

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