Ibrahim Rugova

Ati Kombit Ibrahim Rugova
Official portrait, 2001
President of Kosovo
In office 25 January 1992 – 21 January 2006
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Fatmir Sejdiu
Leader of Democratic League of Kosovo
In office 23 December 1989 – 21 January 2006
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Fatmir Sejdiu
Personal details
Born	(1944-12-02)2 December 1944 Cërrcë, Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (now Kosovo)
Died	21 January 2006(2006-01-21) (aged 61) Prishtinë, United Nations Administered Kosovo
Cause of death	Cancer
Political party	LDK (1989–2006)
Spouse	Fana Rugova
Children	Mendim Rugova Ukë Rugova Teuta Rugova
Awards	Hero of Kosovo
Signature

Ibrahim Rugova^[a] (Albanian pronunciation: [ibɾahim ɾugova]; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President of Kosovo from 2002 until his death in 2006. 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.

He founded the political party Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) in 1989. The LDK, which had the support of 90% of the ethnic Albanian population of Kosovo, advocated for Kosovo's independence by peaceful means. The party established a shadow government that provided basic government and social services to the Kosovo Albanian population, including education and health care, in effect creating a parallel state. In May 1992, Rugova was elected President of this parallel state. In March 2002, with a United Nations mission was administering Kosovo, he was elected President of Kosovo. He held this position until his death in January 2006, and was posthumously declared a Hero of Kosovo. He is sometimes referred to as Ati Kombit ("Father of the Nation") in Kosovo.^[1] He is also referred to as the Gandhi of the Balkans due to his strategy of non-violent resistance.^[2][3]

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