‘Independence is here. Now it’s freedom’s turn’
Kosovo’s forgotten 1991 declaration of independence.
By Shan Karemani — 17/02/2025
February 17, 2008, was not the first time Kosovo declared its independence. It was the second. The first declaration came on October 19, 1991 — just a few months after Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991.
Unfortunately, Kosovo’s 1991 declaration of independence has been largely overlooked, overshadowed by the widely-recognized declaration in 2008. It is crucial, however, to revive the memory of the 1991 event before this historic moment fades from our collective consciousness.
What transpired in Kosovo that fall, and why is it important to remember?
Born in 1997 in the U.S., I was 11 years old when Kosovo declared independence in 2008. Like many younger Albanians, I grew up knowing only this moment, unaware that Kosovo had first declared independence in 1991. It wasn’t until the seventh anniversary of Kosovo’s 2008 independence, when my father told me about the 1991 declaration, that I discovered this earlier chapter in our history. “We should be celebrating that declaration,” he said. “It’s a shame that we’ve forgotten it.”
But before we can understand the 1991 declaration, we must first consider the context. In March 1989, Kosovo was stripped of its autonomy by the Yugoslav state under Slobodan Milošević. This decision resulted in the creation of a brutal apartheid-like system in which Albanians were systematically oppressed. 90% of Albanians lost their jobs, forcing them into economic hardship and jeopardizing the survival of their families. State-sponsored violence intensified, and Albanians were left with no choice but to establish parallel institutions to provide governance, education and healthcare.
On July 2, 1990, Kosovo declared itself an equal republic, alongside Yugoslavia’s six other republics. Two months later, on September 7, 1990, the historic Kaçanik Constitution was adopted, in secrecy under the threat of Serbian repression. It boldly asserted Kosovo’s political and legal identity and laid the foundation for Kosovo’s future statehood, which would officially be proclaimed a year later. Contrary to some misconceptions, the July 2 declaration was not an act of full independence that established Kosovo as a sovereign state. It was a declaration of independence from Serbia, the dominant republic in Yugoslavia, in which Kosovo had been an autonomous province.
An overwhelming 99% of voters supported Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state.
In fall 1991, after Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia, Kosovo also made significant strides toward independence. On September 22, 1991, the Assembly decided to hold a referendum on Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. The referendum occurred from September 26 to 30, with 87% of the 1,051,357 eligible voters participating. Participation carried significant risks, and could lead to arrest and imprisonment. Nonetheless, an overwhelming 99% of voters supported Kosovo as a sovereign and independent state, with only 164 voting against it and 933 ballots declared invalid.
‘Today, we vote for ourselves’
While researching this moment in Kosovo’s history, I found it quite challenging to access even the most basic information. Much of what I gathered came from Bujku, a newspaper that continued the legacy of the popular Rilindja during the 1990s. Despite repression and censorship, Rilindja persisted for years, serving as a voice for Kosovo Albanians and a key element to Kosovo’s struggle for self-determination, before being banned by Serbian authorities in August 1990.
Though Bujku is no longer in circulation, a privately-run website, segmented and created by Kushtrim Visoka, has archived most of its reports from that era in a user-friendly system, allowing readers to explore these historical records for themselves.
While reviewing the Bujku archives from late September to October 1991, I came across several striking accounts capturing the emotion and significance of Kosovo’s 1991 independence referendum. They paint a clear picture of a people determined to assert their sovereignty despite serious challenges.
In the village of Henc, Bujku reported that the entire community turned out to vote, including elderly citizens who could barely stand.
One such account highlights 105-year-old Tefik Rexhepi of Gelancë, Suhareka, who stated that it was the first time in his life he had the chance to vote for Kosovo’s sovereignty, hoping that future generations could live freely in the independent Republic of Kosovo. In the village of Henc, Bujku reported that the entire community turned out to vote, including elderly citizens who could barely stand. Among them were three brothers — Agushi, Selmani, and Hamdi — who were all over 70. Agushi, the eldest, stood in line with tears in his eyes, saying, “Until today, we voted many times, but always for others. Today, we vote for ourselves, for a sovereign and independent Kosovo.”
Another account from Ferizaj featured 97-year-old Emin Hasani, who described the referendum as a historic moment: the first time in 79 years that Albanians had the chance to freely express their long-suppressed political will. Hasani was likely referencing 1912, the year in which Albania declared its independence. Sabrushe Tërnava, a mother of three, and Feride Tërnava, a student from Nakarada, could barely contain their joy as they cast their votes. Bujku reported that the two women hoped to build a free state where they could enjoy life after so much suffering.
Notably, Bujku also documented that the referendum transcended ethnic lines. At polling station No. 6 in Ferizaj, Živka Sopa, an ethnic Serb, cast her vote — a noteworthy example of how the referendum, though primarily driven by Albanians, also saw participation from individuals outside the majority community. In Mamusha, a Turkish-majority municipality, approximately 2,500 Turkish residents took part in the referendum. Bosniaks and Roma also cast their votes in favor of an independent Kosovo, illustrating the multiethnic nature of the movement.
While searching the Bujku archives, I also came across the name Refik Curri from Hani Elezit, who was 30 years old when he was arrested on September 28, 1991, for participating in the referendum. I was able to reach him by phone. Curri recalled the day he was arrested:
“They [Serb Yugoslav police officers] put me in the back of a Zastava 101 police car. When we arrived at the station, a crowd of Albanians had already gathered, having heard about my arrest. As the officers stepped out, they began wiping the dust off the car windows — Hani Elezit, a town known for its large cement factory, was always covered in dust. But they didn’t use just anything to clean the windows — they used our Albanian national flag. This angered me and the other Albanians.”
Independence on Kosovo’s terms
On October 19, 1991, the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo officially declared the referendum results, affirming Kosovo’s status as an independent state. With 99.87% of votes in favor and over two-thirds of eligible voters participating, the referendum was a success and an unmistakable expression of the people’s will. Even though it lacked the formal, internationally-recognized process of 2008, the 1991 referendum can be seen as a de-facto declaration of independence and an anti-colonial act. The Assembly’s recognition of the referendum results affirmed Kosovo’s statehood, marking a decisive step in its declaration of independence. Days later, on October 21, 1991, Albania became the first and only country to recognize the Republic of Kosovo’s independence.
Following this declaration, Ibrahim Rugova, one of the founders of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), was elected the first president, with Bujar Bukoshi becoming the first prime minister. While calls for independence had been voiced in various ways previously, the LDK played a major role in the 1990s by consolidating Kosovo’s first parallel institutions and leading the political resistance against Serbian rule. The party adopted a strategy of passive resistance, aiming to gain international recognition and avoid direct confrontation with Serbian forces. However, as Serbia’s colonial repression intensified and diplomatic efforts failed to produce tangible results, the limitations of this approach became apparent. By 1997, with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) making its first public appearance, armed resistance emerged as a critical component of Kosovo’s fight for freedom.
The 1991 declaration was entirely people-powered and was an act of defiance that affirmed Kosovo Albanians’ moral dignity after decades of systematic oppression.
The 1991 declaration carries far greater significance than the one that followed in 2008. The 1991 declaration was entirely people-powered and was an act of defiance that affirmed Kosovo Albanians’ moral dignity after decades of systematic oppression. Independence was claimed on Kosovo’s own terms, rooted in collective struggle and self-determination, long before Western-imposed frameworks of “supervised independence” and international negotiations set the conditions for statehood.
By contrast, the 2008 declaration, while important for securing international recognition, was shaped more by external compromises than by the will of the people. The framework proposed by figures like Martti Ahtisaari may have partially legitimized our independence in the eyes of the world, but it also risked diminishing the sacrifices of the 1990s. During this period, Kosovo endured brutal oppression in a racist, colonial police state where the killing of Albanians went unpunished.
Yet, we demonstrated the dignity and determination to declare our independence on our own terms. We established parallel systems with our own leaders, schools, clinics and media — not because we were physically free, but because we refused to wait for freedom to be granted. In other words, independence wasn’t given to us — we claimed it in 1991, even if only Albania recognized it at the time.
Voting despite the risks
I can’t help but think of people like Rexhepi, who, having lived through the Balkan Wars of 1912-13 and both world wars, went out for the first time to vote for an independent Kosovo at age 105. His vote, along with countless others, represents not just the desire for independence but a lifetime of struggle.
What about those who risked everything to vote in secret, knowing the danger they faced from the police? Many everyday citizens — Zymrie Aliu, Selami Latifi, Abdyrrahim Mahmuti, Rrahim Morina, Banush Krasniqi, Ali Berisha, Arsim Sejdiu, Hajrie Morina and many others — were arrested while trying to cast their votes. These individuals who sacrificed their safety are just as integral to our history as any official declaration. By ignoring 1991, we overlook their bravery and the essential role they played in shaping Kosovo’s future.
While researching this topic, I became curious if there were others in Kosovo who have been writing about this. I typed relevant keywords into Google, hoping to find something, but had no luck. It appeared that the 1991 declaration was not widely-recognized in mainstream historical discussions. Then, to my surprise, I came across a random yet fascinating Facebook post by someone named Adnan Mustafa, written on the eighth anniversary of Kosovo’s “official” Independence Day, February 17, 2008.
His post states: “That day [February 17, 2008], I went out to celebrate with my family for one reason only: to make the children happy. For me, independence was declared by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo following the Referendum for Independence on October 19, 1991. That is the true independence. February 17th is just a media-driven independence.”
Mustafa’s post resonated with me, and I was eager to contact him to ask not only about his perspective, but also about his experiences during the September 1991 referendum and subsequent declaration of independence. Unfortunately, I later learned that he passed away in 2017.
I was unable to get in touch with Mustafa’s family, but got in contact with a friend of his, Pal Bala. I met Bala in a cafe in Prishtina and he expressed to me that Kosovar politicians made a mistake in 2008 by not referencing the 1991 referendum in the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Kosovo Assembly on February 17, 2008. He argued that rather than being labeled a declaration of independence, it should have been recognized as a reconfirmation of the people’s authentic decision in 1991.
Regarding our two different independence days, some might point out that Kosovo and its people were in a much better situation in 2008. They might argue that the 1991 declaration didn’t lead to true independence and that life for Albanians in Kosovo in the next years was brutal. However, this perspective overlooks not only the symbolic and dignified nature of the 1991 declaration but also fails to recognize that many countries declared their independence long before they actually achieved full freedom.
This captures the essence of how people viewed the 1991 declaration: independence had been claimed, but true freedom was still to be realized.
For instance, Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates its independence on March 1 (1992), despite the horrors that followed, including the genocide committed by Bosnian Serbs in Srebrenica and the four-year siege of Sarajevo. The U.S., which celebrates its independence on July 4 (1776), was not fully sovereign and independent until the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Interestingly, while checking the Bujku archives, I came across a newspaper clipping from September 29, 1991, the fourth day of the referendum. The subheadline reads: “What kind of freedom is it where you have to vote in secret? — Independence is here. Now it’s freedom’s turn.” This captures the essence of how people viewed the 1991 declaration: independence had been claimed, but true freedom was still to be realized.
In his essay “Notes for a Hypothetical Novel,” part of his “Nobody Knows My Name” collection, renowned African-American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin beautifully writes: “Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take.” We took our freedom on October 19, 1991. February 17, 2008, and the days that followed, was when much of the world finally acknowledged what we had already claimed for ourselves 16 years earlier.
Feature image: Majlinda Hoxha / K2.0
Editor’s note (February 20, 2025): The original version of this piece included a sentence stating that the Assembly of Kosovo was dissolved in 1989. That sentence has been removed, as the Assembly was dissolved in 1990.
Want to support our journalism?
At Kosovo 2.0, we strive to be a pillar of independent, high-quality journalism in an era where it’s increasingly challenging to maintain such standards and fearlessly pursue truth and accountability. To ensure our continued independence, we are introducing HIVE, our new membership model that offers an opportunity for anyone who values our journalism to contribute and become part of our mission.
Become a member of HIVE or consider making a donation.