From 1945 until 1992 Bujanovac was part of Socialist Republic of Serbia, within SFR Yugoslavia. Breakup of Yugoslavia (1991–99) In 1992, the Albanians in the area organized a referendum in which they voted that Bujanovac, Preševo and Medveđa should join the self-declared assembly of the Republic of Kosova. However, no major events happened until the end of the 1990s. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, and nearby Kosovo War which lasted until 1999, between 1999 and 2001, an ethnic Albanian paramilitary separatist organization, the UÇPMB, raised an armed insurgency in the Preševo Valley, in the region mostly inhabited by Albanians, with a goal to occupy these three municipalities from Serbia and join them to the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosova. Unlike in the case of Kosovo, western countries condemned the attacks and described it as the "extremism" and use of "illegal terrorist actions" by the group. Following the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, the new Yugoslav government suppressed the violence by 2001 and defeated the separatists. NATO troops also helped the Yugoslav government by ensuring that the rebels do not import the conflicts back into Kosovo. Thereafter, the situation has stabilized even though large number of forces exist in this small municipality. In 2009, Serbia opened a military base Cepotina five kilometers south of Bujanovac, to further stabilize the area. Modern Today, Bujanovac is located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia. On 7 March 2017, the President of Albania Bujar Nishani made a historical visit to the municipalities of Bujanovac and Preševo, in which Albanians form the ethnic majority. Settlements Aside from the town of Bujanovac, the municipality includes the following settlements: Baraljevac Biljača Bogdanovac Božinjevac Borovac Bratoselce Breznica Brnjare Buštranje Čar Dobrosin Donje Novo Selo Drežnica Đorđevac Gramada Gornje Novo Selo Jablanica Jastrebac Karadnik Klenike Klinovac Končulj Košarno Krševica Kuštica Letovica Levosoje Lopardince Lučane Lukarce Ljiljance Mali Trnovac Muhovac Negovac Nesalce Oslare Pretina Pribovce Rakovac Ravno Bučje Rusce Samoljica Sebrat Sejace Spančevac Srpska Kuća Sveta Petka Starac Suharno Trejak Turija Uzovo Veliki Trnovac Vogance Vrban Zarbince Žbevac Žuželjica Demographics According to the 2002 census, the municipality of Bujanovac had a population of 43,302 people. Most of the municipality population live in rural areas, with only 27.74% living in the urban parts. The municipality of Bujanovac has 59 inhabited places. As of 2022 census, the municipality has a population of 42,634 inhabitants. Ethnic groups The majority of the municipality population according to