Kosovo Declares Independence
The territory of Kosovo declared its independence from Serbian control on Sunday.
After years of being ruled by the Serbian government, thousands of people filled the streets of Kosovo to celebrate its independence. Many supporters held U.S flags and pictures of former President Bill Clinton in memory of the 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Serbian forces, which was led by the United States.
The declaration contains many limitations. Kosovo cannot join with another country, the country will be supervised by international presence and their armed forces will be limited, according to the BBC.
The Serbian government demanded a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting, saying the declaration was "null and void." (New York Times)
In the town of Belgrade, up to 1,000 angry Serbians marched to the U.S. Embassy and threw rocks at windows. Another incident occured in the town of Mitrovica when a grenade was hurled at a U.N. building.
Britain, France, and Germany are expected to be the first to recognize Kosovo as a country. Others are not, fearing repercussions from separitist groups within their country.
The Serbian government is expected to lower diplomatic ties with any government that supports Kosovo as a country.
The independence declaration is stemming from years of conflict that arose in the 1980's when the Serbian government fired thousands of Albanians from jobs, supressed the Albanian language and controlled the territory with force.