Ibrahim Rugova
| Ibrahim Rugova | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 1st President of the Republic of Kosova | |
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In office 24 May 1992 – 21 January 2006 |
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| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Fatmir Sejdiu |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 December 1944 Crnce, Yugoslav territories under communist Partisans (now Kosovo) |
| Died | 21 January 2006 (aged 61) Pristina, Serbia and Montenegro's Autonomous province of Kosovo under UN administration (now Kosovo) |
| Political party | LDK (1989–2006) |
| Spouse(s) | Fana Rugova |
| Children | Mendim Rugova Ukë Rugova Teuta Rugova |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Awards | Hero of Kosovo |
| Signature |  |
Ibrahim Rugova (
listen ; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was the first President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2006, and a prominent Kosovo Albanian political leader, scholar, and writer. He oversaw a popular struggle for independence, advocating a peaceful resistance to Yugoslav rule and lobbying for U.S. and European support, especially during the Kosovo War. Owing to his role in Kosovo's history, Rugova has been dubbed "Father of the Nation" and "Gandhi of the Balkans," awarded, among others, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and posthumously declared a Hero of Kosovo.
Ibrahim Rugova was born on 2 December 1944 to a family that is a branch of the Kelmendi Albanian clan. At this time, the major part of Kosovo was unified with Albania (controlled by Benito Mussolini's Italy since 1941, and later by the Germans since 1943). Yugoslav control was re-established towards the end of November when the area was liberated by Bulgarian Army and partisans who defeated Albanian collaborators. His father Ukë Rugova and his paternal grandfather Rrustë Rugova were summarily executed in January 1945 by Yugoslav communists. Rugova finished primary school in Istok and high school in Peć, graduating in 1967.
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