President Osmani’s address on the 26th anniversary of the Krusha e Madhe Massacre
Honourable residents of Krusha e Madhe, Krusha of great pain, Honourable Mayor Latifi, Honourable former Prime Minister Haradinaj, Honourable Mr. Hoti, Honorable families of those who fell for freedom, families of martyrs of the Kosovo Liberation Army, veterans and invalids of the war, Honorable participants, When so many innocent people are killed and so much blood is shed in a village, it is no longer just a place on the map, but is an eternal testimony and an eternal oath. This place is Krusha e Madhe! Today we stand in Krusha e Madhe, where pain is engraved on every stone, on every doorstep and in every heart that beats for justice. 26 years ago, this village was struck by one of the most terrible crimes of the Serbian genocidal regime. 241 men and boys were massacred, among them seven children and five women, including a pregnant woman. They were killed not in battle, but in their village, in their homes, in the embrace of their families. But the tragedy does not stop there! To this day, 64 fallen from Krusha e Madhe are among the forcibly disappeared, a multiple crime of genocidal Serbia. Their families live every day with the pain, with the longing for a waiting that never ends. And in this long line of pain stands a great name of our nation, a bright mind, an unforgettable figure, Ukshin Hoti. For more than two decades, his fate, like that of all the inhabitants of Krusha who are now forcibly disappeared, remains unclear. An intellectual, a patriot, a courageous voice of the nation was forcibly taken by the criminal Serbian regime. Since then, nothing is known about him, except that Serbia took him. This mystery is not only an injustice to Ukshin Hoti and his family, but it is a wound in the conscience of humanity. Because the question of where Ukshin Hoti is still requires an answer, as do about 1,600 people who disappeared forcibly as a result of Serbia’s genocidal policies. The Krusha e Madhe massacre is not only a terrible crime from 26 years ago, it is our daily life, it is our present, because the pain continues today, just as it did 26 years ago. It is an open battle for justice. Therefore, we cannot allow the blood of those who were innocent to remain silent and for their sacrifice to be forgotten. We must not remain silent. We must not stop. We must not allow justice to be delayed indefinitely, because justice for Krusha e Madhe is justice for all those who gave their lives, for our freedom, for the heroes of the KLA and for the martyrs of freedom. Krusha e Madhe is not only a symbol of pain, but also of resistance. From its ruins, from the tears that were never shed, new generations have grown up who today keep Kosovo alive, free and proud. Today, before the memory of our martyrs, before the pain of their families, before this sacred land where so many innocent lives are buried, we make an oath. We will never stop until justice triumphs. We will not rest until the crimes committed by Serbia receive the appropriate response. We will never forget the sacrifice of Krusha e Madhe. Eternal glory to all the martyrs and the fallen of Krusha e Madhe and all of Kosovo! God bless Krusha! God bless our Republic! Thank you!
President Osmani: In a meeting with the ambassadors of EU countries, I emphasized the urgency of the lifting of the unjust measures against Kosovo, which harm our citizens and violate the very principles of the EU
The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, met today with the ambassadors of EU countries. President Osmani wrote: Today in a meeting with the ambassadors of EU countries, I emphasized the urgency of the lifting of the unjust measures against Kosovo, which harm our citizens and violate the very principles of the EU. We also discussed the steps towards the constitution of the new institutions resulting from the February 9th elections, as well as the EU-mediated dialogue process. Kosovo remains steadfast in its European journey and committed to cooperation in order to advance on this path.
President Osmani commemorates the 26th anniversary of the Berisha family massacre
In Suharekë, on March 26th 1999, 48 members of the Berisha family were massacred by the genocidal Serbian regime. Men, women and children were targeted simply because they were Albanians. On that night of horror, 19 children were also brutally murdered. Altin’s bag, Redon’s shoes and Kushtrim’s bicycle are the last memories of the innocent children who were violently killed. Only three people survived this tragedy – Vjollca with her son Gramoz and Shyhrete. To save their lives, they jumped from the moving truck, which was transporting the bodies towards Prizren. According to Vjollca Berisha’s accounts, there were others in that truck who were still alive, but seriously injured. The survivors are witnesses to the crime and the wait for justice, and the pain will never end, nor will our voices be silenced. There can be no lasting peace without justice!
Madam President: The Republic of Kosovo welcomes the decision of the Republic of Kenya to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state
The Republic of Kosovo welcomes the decision of the Republic of Kenya to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, through the decision signed by President Ruto and officially submitted to the Presidency a short while ago. This recognition is a testament to the continued support for the right of the people of Kosovo to freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, it is also a recognition of the long suffering and centuries-old sacrifice of the people of Kosovo for freedom. On behalf of the institutions and citizens of Kosovo, I express my sincere gratitude to the President of Kenya, William Ruto, for this just and important decision, as well as to the Kenyan institutions and citizens who supported this major diplomatic step. Over the years, I have held several important meetings with him, in which the recognition of Kosovo has been the main topic of discussion. President Ruto has consistently assured the people of Kosovo that the decision on recognition will be taken quickly, based on international law and the long-standing sacrifice of our people. A special appreciation to all those who contributed to this process. Special thanks for the continued commitment of the former President and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Behgjet Pacolli. Kosovo continues to move forward on its path of integration and strengthening its international position. Relations between Kosovo and Kenya will deepen in various areas, so we expect to establish diplomatic relations very soon, building a strong and long-term partnership between our two states and peoples.
President Osmani: Residents of Krusha e Madhe and Krusha e Vogël stood firm and became a symbol of invincibility
The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, on the 26th anniversary of the massacres in Krusha e Madhe and Krusha e Vogël paid homage and participated at the memorial gatherings in Krusha e Madhe and Krusha e Vogël. President Osmani wrote: Today we remember with pain and honour the 241 residents killed in Krusha e Madhe and 113 killed in Krusha e Vogël by Milosevic’s genocidal regime. To this day, 64 people from Krusha e Madhe, as well as 60 from Krusha e Vogël, remain forcibly disappeared by the Serbian regime, as evidence of the repeated crime and the unquenchable pain of the families who still have nowhere to place a remembrance flower. Among the dead were children and the elderly, and even pregnant women, as evidence that the cruelty of the Milosevic regime knew no bounds. After killing the inhabitants of these villages, they burned the corpses, with the pure intention of exterminating our people from our lands. But the inhabitants of Krusha e Madhe and Krusha e Vogël stood firm and became a symbol of invincibility. Today, before them, we reaffirm our daily commitment to justice and that the memory of the fallen must never be forgotten. Eternal glory to all those who sacrificed themselves for freedom!
President Osmani: Tërnja – an unhealed wound, an eternal memory
In the early morning hours of March 25th 1999, Serbian genocidal paramilitary forces entered the village of Tërnja in Suharekë and massacred 46 martyrs, including women, the elderly and children. Some of the victims were residents of the village, while others were guests from the villages of Studençan and Randobrava, who had sought refuge with the families of Tërnja. Eight residents are still among the forcibly disappeared. Tërnja is an open wound, it is an eternal memory of our sacrifice for freedom and an oath to never forget those who gave everything for the homeland. Eternal glory to the martyrs of Tërnja!
President Osmani commemorated the Massacres of Celinë , Fortesë and Brestoc
On March 25th 1999, the forces of the Serbian genocidal regime committed bloody massacres in the villages of Rahovec, during which they killed 75 civilians in Celina, 69 in Fortesë and 49 in Brestoc. In defense of the population, five KLA fighters also fell heroically. They were killed only because they were Albanians, only because they wanted freedom. The pain remains, justice is missing, but the truth cannot be undone. We remember the martyrs, we honor the KLA heroes and we shall never stop in our search for justice!
President Osmani commemorates Bajram Kelmendi, Kastriot and Kushtrim
Twenty-six years ago, Kosovo lost a steadfast fighter for justice, lawyer Bajram Kelmendi, and his two sons, Kastriot and Kushtrim. In the darkest hours of our history, they were abducted from their home by Milosevic’s genocidal regime and brutally executed. This act of barbarity was intended to discourage our fight for freedom. But violence failed to extinguish the truth and crimes did not stop the quest for justice. Today, we remember them not only as victims of a criminal regime, but as symbols of resistance, of ideals for a free and democratic Kosovo. Bajram Kelmendi’s life and sacrifice is a testament to courage, while his and his sons’ murder is a permanent reminder of our debt to justice. On this anniversary, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment: justice for Bajram Kelmendi and his sons will not remain just a promise, but an oath. Future generations will learn about them not only as victims of atrocities, but as invincible standard-bearers of a people who never surrendered. May their memory be eternal!
President Osmani’s statement to the press in Gllogjan today
Today we honoured the heroes of the Epic of Dukagjin. March 24 marks one of the most glorious dates in our history, because a heroic war took place here in defence of the Albanian people from the massacres and the fiercest attacks of Serbian hegemony under the leadership of Milosevic’s genocidal and fascist regime. The Haradinaj family and all of Gllogjan stood up to transform these towers into fortresses of freedom and many of those who fought fell martyrs, while many others continued to contribute to the freedom of Kosovo. Therefore, it is our duty as institutions of Kosovo, but above all as citizens of this free, sovereign and independent Republic, to always honour the sacrifice of the Haradinaj family and all those who fell for freedom as part of the Epic of Dukagjin and the battles that were fought in this part of Kosovo, but to also honour all the heroes who fell, not only on this date, for our freedom. As you know, today we also honour the anniversary of NATO’s intervention, which more or less shows that the combination of our liberation war on the one hand and the help of our allies on the other, finally brought the freedom for which generations were sacrificed, and at the same time it is a message that only united for a sovereign Kosovo, but also with the help of our allies, can Kosovo achieve historic successes, as it has done through liberation, then independence and state-building. Glory to the heroes! May their memory be eternal! Thank you!
President Osmani paid homage to the NATO soldiers’ memorial stone, on the anniversary of the Alliance’s intervention on March 24, 1999
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani paid homage to the NATO soldiers’ memorial stone today, on the anniversary of the Alliance’s intervention on March 24, 1999. On this occasion, President Osmani said: Today, we paid homage with honour and gratitude to the NATO soldiers’ memorial stone, on the anniversary of the Alliance’s intervention on March 24, 1999. This historic act of courage and justice ended Serbia’s genocidal regime and paved the way for Kosovo’s freedom. NATO soldiers are the heroes of our freedom – they stood by our people in the darkest days, as they continue to do today, and they will always remain a part of our history. Glory to their sacrifice! Eternal gratitude to the Alliance for our peace and freedom!