Rambouillet Peace Conference - Hawaii Pacific University

Boshkovich 21
through students declining to attend Serbian Universities, to food poisoning of school
children, but only Albanian children, even if the School was multiethnic. It should be
mentioned that during that time (September 1990) Albanians in Kosovo declared
independence by ―Kacanik Constitution‖; of course they did not have support from the
USA and other powers, so no one cared about it. 41 Nevertheless, during this turmoil
Albanians got a new leader, Ibrahim Rugova. On first elections for so-called ―Republic of
Kosovo‖ in 1992, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) led by Mr. Rugova won by
far, and he became the first President of Albanian parallel state in Kosovo, while Bujar
Bukosi was elected as a first Prime Minister. 42
Rugova become very popular as a fighter for Albanian rights. The most important
thing that he has done for Albanians was abandoning of the blood feud. He gained
forgiveness among 150 families. 43 This custom, which divided Albanians for centuries,
was the main reason why they were not as dangerous. Rugova was for Albanians what
Arafat was for Palestinians. His objectives developed from real autonomy, through the
Republic of Kosovo, to full independence. 44 At the time Rugova and his followers
insisted that they should have the same rights as Serbs in Croatia, but they had to change
that once Croatian army conducted operation ―Oluja‖ (Storm) in August 1995 45 , in which
they completed ethnic cleansing of Serbs that started in WWII.
Milosevic, on the other side, tried to imitate Israelis, but he did not understand
that for that kind of approach he needed the support of the USA. On the contrary, Rugova
41 UNESCO Online, ―Parallel worlds rebuilding the education system in Kosovo,‖ 43,
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001361/136152e.pdf
42 Predrag Simic, Put u Rambuje: Kosovska Kriza 1995-2000 (Beograd: Nea, 2000), 30.
43 Milan Komnenic, Klopka u Rambujeu (Beograd: Prosveta, 2006), 124.
44 Predrag Simic, Put u Rambuje: Kosovska Kriza 1995-2000 (Beograd: Nea, 2000), 31.
45 Ibid, 36.