Goden, Gjakova, March 25, 2025
On the 26th anniversary of the Goden massacre, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, paid homage in memory of 20 unarmed Albanian civilians.
Prime Minister Kurti called this massacre evidence of Serbia’s genocide and evidence of the people’s resistance; 20 members of the Feraj, Osmanaj and Morina families, aged 20 to 70, were killed.
“Goden is evidence of Serbia’s genocide, but also evidence of the people’s resistance. The criminals have fled, we have strengthened and expanded the capacities to pursue criminals, whether they were the ones giving orders or executing them, but the Albanian people are here as evidence that the Republic, freedom have prevailed”, said the Prime Minister.
He emphasized that the blood of martyrs and the fallen is never erased, their names are never forgotten and are written in golden letters in the history of our people.
“The blood of martyrs is in the foundations of our Republic. It is up to us to do everything we know and can to strengthen the state as the home of the people, to secure the borders of our country, to deepen democracy, to expand development and to elevate the reputation of our country in the world, so that we can progress as a Republic and as a nation and the generations that come after us, never again experience even remotely the terror and atrocities that the current generations have gone through”, declared the Prime Minister.
The massacre in Goden was cruelly carried out by Serbian forces one day after the start of the NATO bombing campaign and at a time when Serbia was implementing its genocidal “Horseshoe” operation to exterminate Albanians.
In these tributes, Prime Minister Kurti was accompanied by members of the Government, members of the Assembly of Kosovo, the director of the Institute for Documentation and Research of Crimes Committed during the War, Atdhe Hetemi, as well as family members of the martyrs and the fallen.
Full speech by Prime Minister Kurti
Today, I am here in Goden, Gjakova, about 1 kilometer by air from the border with Albania, in an area that has given much to the Albanian nation for liberation and unification. And we are here, precisely on the 26th anniversary of the murder of 20 villagers, of various ages from 20 to 70, of the three families Feraj, Osmanaj and Morina, at a time when Serbia was implementing its genocidal “Horseshoe” operation to exterminate Albanians and precisely to ethnically cleanse the areas of autochthonous Albanians.
Precisely to ethnically cleanse the areas of autochthonous Albanians, it wanted to separate us from Albania in advance, which is why the officer at the border post on the Albanian side was wounded by Serbian army snipers, when the massacre of Albanians was being carried out here.
The blood of martyrs is in the foundations of our Republic. It is up to us to do everything we know and can to strengthen the state as the home of the people, to secure the borders of our country, to deepen democracy, to expand development and to elevate the reputation of our country in the world, so that we can progress as a Republic and as a nation and the generations that come after us will never again experience even remotely the terror and atrocities that the current generations have gone through.
Goden is evidence of the genocide of Serbia, but also evidence of the resistance of the people.
The criminals have fled, we have strengthened and expanded the capacities for pursuing criminals, whether they are the ones who gave the orders or executed them, but the Albanian people are here as proof that the Republic and freedom have triumphed.
I am with colleagues from the Government and the Assembly and activists from the Movement, and with us today is also the Director of the Institute for Documentation and Research of Crimes Committed during the War, Atdhe Hetemi, because we know where we are going, since we know where we come from.
The blood of the martyrs and the fallen is never erased. Their names are never forgotten and are written in golden letters in the history of our people.
Glory to all of them, long live the Albanian people and our progressive Republic!
Last modified: March 26, 2025