Ibrahim rugova biografia

Ibrahim Rugova, the pacifist leader of Kosovo's Albanians, was born in The years that followed were to shape his whole outlook on life. Just after the war his father and grandfather were executed by Yugoslav communists who were recapturing the province from the then retreating Germans.

Rugova grew up during years of harsh repression. Following the war, Kosovo was run by mostly Serb communists who ran the province on a tight leash.

Nevertheless Ibrahim Rugova was able to prosper and he eventually went to Paris where he studied linguistics at the Sorbonne.

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He then became a professor of Albanian literature and a writer.

Like almost every single other leader in the former Yugoslavia, Rugova was a member of its old communist party. He was expelled after joining others in demanding changes to Serbia's constitution.

Building a political movement

With the formal end of one party rule in Serbia Rugova was elected to head the first non-communist party in Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosova ( *see notes below), the LDK.

The LDK was founded just after Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic had abolished Kosovo's autonomy and at a time of great political ferment.

Teuta rugova President of Kosovo. Ibrahim Rugova guided the Balkan territory of Kosovo through its long and often bloody struggle for independence. Often referred to as the father of his nation, Rugova was a college professor who emerged as an unlikely leader of Kosovo in the late s when this province of Serbia suffered its first wave of violence against its majority Albanian populace. Rugova's "academic appearance," noted New York Times writer Nicholas Wood, "and resolute pacifism in the face of severe repression and human rights abuses by Serbian security forces in the region made him a near legendary figure among his followers. Kosovo was home to a large population of ethnic Albanians from neighboring Albania, with Rugova's family among them.

Over the next few years though the Yugoslav crisis, which had begun in Kosovo was to shift northwards. By the war which was to destroy the old federal republic had begun.

Change of strategy

At this point the LDK, which had until then been demanding that Kosovo become a full Yugoslav republic now opted for independence.

At that point there were believed to be some million Albanians in Kosovo as against , Serbs.

Ibrahim rugova dies The once chain-smoking, haggard and dishevelled man with his trademark scarf around his neck, had spent more than 16 years at the centre of Kosovan politics, pushing to establish the province as a democratic, sovereign state independent of Serbia. Ibrahim Rugova led passive resistance in Kosovo in the s The United Nations - still administering Kosovo - has launched talks on the final status of the province. Mr Rugova's long-held vision of a new Balkan future will face a crucial test after his death - largely because of the iconic - if slightly mysterious - aura surrounding his life. Hailed as the "comeback kid" of Balkan politics when he won Kosovo's presidency in , Mr Rugova's Democratic League of Kosovo LDK party was forced to share power after parliamentary elections in An atmosphere of mutual distrust has soured relations between the LDK leader and his main political opponent, ex-guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci who now leads the second-largest party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo PDK.

As the Croats and then Bosnia's Muslims took on the Serbs, some Kosovo Albanians argued that they should "open a southern front" to win their own freedom.

Rugova argued that this would be an appalling mistake. After hundreds of thousands of people had been driven from their homes in Croatia and Bosnia, he feared the same could happen to Kosovo's Albanian population.

Parallel administration

Under Rugova's guidance then, the LDK and other Kosovo Albanian parties pioneered a unique experiment. They declared independence and began setting up parallel structures of government, health care and education.

Rugova was elected president in semi-underground elections while a "government-in-exile" shuttled between Germany, Switzerland, Albania and Macedonia.

The main purpose of this government was to raise taxes amongst the large Kosovo Albanian community working abroad and to use this money to finance education and other services.

Teachers, doctors and others were available in large numbers ever since they had been sacked or resigned from their jobs after Mr Milosevic's clampdown in

It is widely believed that the Serbs more or less permitted Mr Rugova's activities as he was immensely popular and if Albanians did not have him to look to for guidance then they would search for leadership amongst other more hardline candidates.

Dayton accord shatters consensus

Albanians who had followed Rugova through the difficult years of repression and harassment were shocked that the accord, which ended the war in Bosnia, did not deal with Kosovo.

Biografia e ibrahim rugoves: The R 7 Motorway (Albanian: Autostrada R 7; Serbian: Autoput R 7), also commonly known as Autostrada Ibrahim Rugova, is the longest motorway in the Republic of Kosovo running kilometres ( mi) in the districts of Pristina and Prizren.

It became increasingly clear that western countries would not support its demand for independence.

From that time on Rugova's position came under increasing scrutiny. Some began to argue that their leader's pacifism was tantamount to passivity. Quarrels with the government-in-exile lead to a cut off of funds from abroad.

Autobahn ibrahim rugova biography He oversaw a popular struggle for independence, advocating a peaceful resistance to Yugoslav rule and lobbying for U. The party established a shadow government that provided basic government and social services to the Kosovo Albanian population, including education and health care, in effect creating a parallel state. In May , Rugova was elected President of this parallel state. He held this position until his death in January , and was posthumously declared a Hero of Kosovo. Ibrahim Rugova was born on 2 December to a family that is a branch of the Kelmendi Albanian clan.

Leadership threatened

When the Kosovo Liberation Army began to emerge some two years ago Rugova argued that it was a Serbian police trick designed to discredit his policies.

The increasing prominence of the KLA showed this was not the case.

Mr Rugova's trademark is a silk scarf that he wears wherever he goes.

With the launch of the Nato air campaign and the mass exodus of Kosovo Albanians it is now unclear just how popular he remains.

Some analysts believe that if Mr Rugova could make a compromise deal with the Serbs, the vast majority of Albanians who are now armed would lay down their guns and follow his lead.

However he lost support when he was shown on Serbian television holding talks with President Slobodan Milosevic after the Nato bombing campaign began.

Biografia e ibrahim rugoves

Ibrahim rugova shqip

Ibrahim rugova biografia

He also signed an agreement with Belgrade at the end of March paving the way for more peace talks on the province.

With his release by the Yugoslav authorities and arrival in Italy he clearly intends to play a role in the search for peace in Kosovo.

Whether it is a significant one remains to be seen.

Notes

(*1) Kosova is the Albanian name for the province. The word 'League' was chosen specifically to make reference to the League of Prizren, the first Albanian nationalist movement which was founded in