Agron Dragaj photography

Kosova

Nine years after NATO troops entered Kosovo and United Nations oversaw its administration, Provisional Institutions of Self-Government Assembly of Kosovo, adopted on 17 February 2008, declared Kosovo to be independent from Serbia.

The 2008 declaration was a product of failed negotiations concerning the adoption of the Ahtisarri plan, which broke down in the fall of 2007. The plan, prepared by the UN Special Envoy, former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, stipulated a sort of supervised independence for Kosovo, without expressly using the word "independence" among its proposals. Under the plan, the Kosovo entity would gain self-governance under the supervision of the European Union, and become obligated to expressly protect its minorities' rights by means of a constitution and a representative government, while this entity would be accorded its own national symbols such as a flag and a coat of arms, and be obligated to carry out border demarcation on the disputed Kosovo-Republic of Macedonia border. The Albanian negotiators supported the Ahtisaari plan essentially in whole, and the plan gained the backing of the European Union and of the United States. However, Serbia and Russia rejected it outright, and no progress was possible on the United Nations front.

Faced with no progress on negotiations in sight, the Kosovars decided to unilaterally proclaim the Republic of Kosova, obligating themselves in the process to follow the Ahtisaari plan's provisions in full. As of mid-April 2008, this has largely been the case, with the new Republic adopting a constitution written by local and international scholars protecting minority rights and providing for a representative government with guaranteed ethnic representation, which law is to take effect on 15 June 2008.

The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence elicited mixed reaction internationally and polarized one domestically, the latter along the division of Kosovo Serbs vs. the Kosovo Albanians and non-Serb minorities taken together. Accordingly, effective control in Kosovo has also fractured along these lines.

One of the consequences of the declaration was the fall of the government of Serbia, due to internal discord on how to deal with the European Union and Kosovo.

Prekaz, Kosovo.Despite the rain few thousand people have gathered to commemorate 10th anniversary of Prekaz battle.Commemoration of the tenth anniversary of death of Jashari family was marked this year with a banner "Bac, u kry" (brother, it's finished") referring to Adem Jashari that Kosovo has been declared independent and the long lasting freedom came.Fifty two members of Jashari family were killed during the three day siege of Prekaz village in 1998. the youngest of the family Blerina Hamez Jashari was only seven while the oldest of Jashari family killed was Shaban Murat Jashari age 74.
  
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
A woman holds her son and signs visitors book at the Adem Jashari memorial complex in Prekaz, Kosovo
   
     
  
   
  
     
  
241 Kosovar Albanians were massacred by the Serbian forces between 25 and 27 March 1999.
   
Luljeta Duraku in front of graves of 241 Kosovar Albanians who were massacred by Serbian forces between 25 and 27 March 1999.
   
     
  
Krusha e Madhe, KosovaShaban Krasniqi is among few who survived attack of the Serbian forces on their village between 25 and 27th March 1999. He remembers still vividly when serbian forces surrounded village of Krusha e Madhe and killed 241 villagers in one day.On 27th March 2008 survivors and their families participated in the commemoration to mark ninth anniversary since Serbian forces massacred hundreds of innocent women, children and elderly in the village of Krusha e Madhe in 1999.
   
  
     
  
   
  
     
  
   
  
An old man passes by while jubilant crowd gathered to greet former prime minister of Kosova, Ramush Haradinaj who has been released from UN Tribunal for war crimes on 03 April 2008, Prishtina airport Prishtina, Kosova.
     
  
A man holds the photo of the Haredinaj brothers former KLA fighters. A crowd gathered to greet former prime minister of Kosova, Ramush Haradinaj who has been released from UN Tribunal for war crimes.
  
A crowd gathered to greet former prime minister of Kosova, Ramush Haradinaj who has been released from UN Tribunal for war crimes.
  
Prishtina, Kosova.A young boy walks by photographs of the missing persons who were never found since the 1999 war. Photographs are displayed by the families of the missing persons and and every year members of the family place flowers nearby. Photographs are displayed since 1999 on the fences of the Government building in Prishtina Kosova
     
  
   
Dollc, KosovaA elderly man walks past estroyed Serbian house in village of Dollc, which used to be inhabitated by minority Serbs. After the NATO forces enterd Kosovo in 1999, and Serbian forces redrawal, tens of thousads minority Serbs decided to flee Kosovo in fear of revenge by Kosovar Albanians. With proclamation of Kosovo as an independend state, which Serbia strongly opposes, villingness of minority Serbs to integrate and co-exisit with majority Albanians is fragile.
   
Young boy plays accordian entertaining guests in the local caffe.