Balkans Article Index : Current 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Why Geography
 Latest
 News 		  Most
 Read 		  Most
 Commented		  Hot
 Topics

September 25, 2004

For the second time, elections were held in Kosovo. Results were the same, with moderate Ibrahim Rugova getting 47 percent of the vote, while militant Albanian nationalist Hashim Thaci got about 28 percent. But the Serb minority, the target of frequent attacks by Albanians, refused to vote. A force of 19,300 peacekeeper troops have been unable to stop the Albanian attacks on  Serbs and other minorities. The Albanians want independence, but Kosovo is still technically part of Serbia. If Kosovo were independent, all non-Albanians would probably be driven out. The NATO peacekeeping force forced its way into Kosovo five years ago to prevent the Serbs from driving all the Albanians out of  Kosovo.