The Autonomous Republic Within Serbia Has Sparked Numerous Wars, Genocides, And Human Rights Violations Since The Late 1980s.

Kosovar Serbs and Kosovar Albanians have begun a series of local skirmishes which has seen the deaths of over 500 people, 23 years since the end of the Kosovo War in June of 1999.

Kosovo is an autonomous republic in Serbia, and has been since Yugoslav dictator Josip Broz Tito rewrote the Yugoslav and Serb constitutions in 1974.

Following the dissolution of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992 and later the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (AKA the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro) in 2006, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17th 2008.

According to both local and Serbian statistics of the 1.8 million inhabitants of Kosovo, around 92% are ethnic Albanians with 6?ing ethnic Serbs.

Out of the 193 member countries within the UN, only 99 recognize Kosovo as an independent country.

With others mixed on calling it ever an autonomous republic within Serbia, or another province within the Balkan nation.

The fighting started after numerous Serb motorists were forced to switch their Serbian license plates with Kosovo issued plates, which they protested via blocking roads in the northern regions near the Serbian border.

Both Serbia and NATO have announced they wouldn't be stepping in, but Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, has been accused of covertly arming Serb Nationalists in Kosovo and sending disguised soldiers in to aid them.

Allegations Vucic has denied.