Pristina, 28 March 2024
On the 25th anniversary of the killing of 14 people in the ‘Sofali’ neighborhood of Prishtina and 1 person still missing, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, paid homage and laid flowers at the monument bearing the names of the killed, in memory of this painful event from the last war.
This massacre, in the neighborhoods of the Pristina capital, these murders and disappearances with violence, like all the other massacres in Kosovo, said the Prime Minister, are undeniable proof of Serbia’s crimes committed during the war, crimes against humanity and genocide of the state of Serbia against Albanians during the last war in 1998-1999.
On this anniversary, in front of those present, he added that in addition to keeping alive the memory of the fallen, we owe deep gratitude to all those who have contributed to the liberation of Kosovo.
“Thanks to martyrs and their family members, freedom fighters and all those who spared nothing for the liberation of Kosovo”, said Prime Minister Kurti, as he recalled today’s tributes that began at the start of the day, from the tributes of victims of the Bogujevci, Duriqi and Llugaliu families in Podujevo, and then in Izbice in Skenderaj.
In conclusion of his speech, the Prime Minister pledged that it is our duty to continue the journey with courage and hope for the future. “Therefore, glory to the martyrs and the fallen here in Pristina, and to all those who fell for freedom throughout Kosovo. May their memory live forever!”, he emphasized.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Dear deputies of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Shqipe Selimi and Mefail Bajqinovci,
Dear colleagues from state institutions,
Dear Mr. Enver Redenica, head of the “Sofali” Local Community,
Dear family members of martyrs, war invalids and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Dear Mr. Fatmir Sopa,
Honorable attendees,
Ladies and gentleman,
Sisters and brothers,
We are here today to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a painful event from the last war. The armed forces of Serbia during the war here, killed 14 residents in this part of the capital 25 years ago, meanwhile, Shyqeri Ramadani is still missing.
Five years ago, we came here to unveil the monuments erected with the names of the martyrs to keep alive in our memory and of the generations that will come after us, as an eternal testimony of the price of freedom, which we enjoy today together.
It has been 10 years since the voluntary blood donation was made on this date. This is a commemoration of lives given for freedom that we enjoy in our daily life today.
In addition to keeping alive the memory of the fallen, we owe deep gratitude to all of those who have contributed to the liberation of Kosovo. Thanks to the families of martyrs and the fallen, freedom fighters and to all those who spared nothing for the liberation of Kosovo.
This massacre, here in the neighborhoods of the Pristina capital, these murders and disappearances with violence, like all the other massacres in Kosovo, are undeniable proof of Serbia’s crimes committed during the war, crimes against humanity and genocide of the state of Serbia against Albanians during the last war in 1998-1999.
I have arrived here from Izbica. Today in Drenica, 147 killed Albanians, who were kidnapped while alive and shot, were commemorated.
After they were buried, they were exhumed and their bodies were sent to Serbia in mass graves there. But then they were exhumed again to be reburied in their homeland, but not everyone of them. Six of them are still missing. They have disappeared. In the morning, before arriving here, we were in Llap, in Podujevo to honor the civilian victims of the Bogujevci, Lluglaliu and Duriqi families who were brutally killed by the Serbian unit “Scorpions” that also carried out the Srebrenica massacre, that is, the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As state institutions, as citizens of the Republic, we are forever indebted to them for the lives and we also have an obligation, for as long as we live, to commit ourselves to justice for them.
The Kosovo land is filled with the graves of those killed during the war. The open graves still await the return of our sons and daughters, they are our open wounds. For healing, truth is needed, justice is needed. Remembering those killed in the journey to liberation is not only a commemorative act but also a moral obligation for each of us to combat collective forgetfulness and learn from our past, ensuring that it never repeats itself for us or future generations. It is our duty to continue the journey with courage and hope for the future. Therefore, glory to the martyrs and the fallen here in Pristina, and to all those who fell for freedom throughout Kosovo. May their memory live forever!
Last modified: April 3, 2024