The storming of a north Kosovo monastery has brought attention to ongoing issues in the ethnic Serbian-majority region, even 15 years after Pristina declared independence.
Here are key facts about the unrest.
Independence for the ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo was achieved on February 17, 2008, nearly a decade after an uprising against Serbian rule.
It is recognized by over 100 countries.
However, Serbia still officially considers Kosovo to be part of its territory. It accuses Kosovo’s central government of violating the rights of ethnic Serbs, but denies allegations of inciting conflict within its neighbor’s borders.
Serbs make up 5 percent of Kosovo’s 1.8 million population, while ethnic Albanians account for approximately 90 percent. Around 50,000 Serbs in north Kosovo, near the border with Serbia, express their opposition by refusing to pay for the energy they consume from the state utility and often engage in attacks against the police during arrest attempts.
Original from www.aljazeera.com