Dua Lipa sparks controversy with tweet linked to extreme Albanian nationalists

UK pop star Lipa tweeted an image of a map which shows the nations of Albania and Kosovo, as well as slices of neighbouring countries, on a red flag emblazoned with Albania’s eagle emblem

The banner, which is in advocation of  Albanian expansionism across the Balkans, was flown at a 2014 football match between Serbia and Albania, this infuriated fans and started a mass brawl.

The tweet was accompanied with the word ‘autochthonous’ meaning ‘indigenous people’ rather than ‘immigrants.’

The tweet came shortly after a petition calling for Apple maps to include Kosovo as a singular entity had been circulating on social media.

The day before, Lipa had shared a similar story on her Instagram, which read: ‘Why Kosovo is not and will never be Serbia.’

Serbia and Russia do not recognise Kosovo, but most other countries do.

Kosovo became Europe’s youngest country by declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, over 10 years after NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia.

Albanian nationalists have laid claim that they settled the country before the Serbs, so to them, Kosovo is a country of ethnic Albanians.