Written by Rexhep Dedushaj. Translated and edited by Petrit Latifi.

In 1879, after much northern Albanian territory was annexed by Montenegro, many atrocities and war crimes were committed on the Albanian population. Atrocities continued until 1921. The source of these facts are cited from “Krahina e Plav e Gucis neper Shekuj”, 1993.

Atrocities in Arzhanicë, Pepaj, Gerçar and Zagraje in 1879

“In Arzhanica, they massacred, looted and burned the house of Vesel H. Shabaj. They burned the Pepaj stables and Kune Drejaj’s stable, then the Gerçar stables, killing some shepherds and looting the livestock. They even cut the killed shepherds into pieces, put them in bags and rolled them down the slope, leaving a letter in them, which said: “These victims are sent to Ali-pasha Guci”. In the village of Zagraje, a girl was robbed, who, while passing by Maja e Valit, jumped from a peak and was torn to pieces. To this day, that peak is called “Maja e Vajzës”. Then they burned the mosque of Pepajve and massacred Mulla Osman Çele, violently robbing 3 more girls from this village and Arzhanica, whose “breasts had been cut off and left mutilated”.

Atrocities by troops of Marko Miljanov (Mark Milani) in Velikë and Plav in 1879

“Mark Milani attacked again towards the end of November (1879) in the direction of Plava, on the right side of the Lim, through the villages of Arzhanicë and Velikë, while Todor in the direction of Gucia, on the left side of the Lim, through the village of Pepaj, but also from Vizitori. These villages were burned and razed to the ground! Unprecedented clashes took place between the warring forces, hand-to-hand clashes and the Montenegrins were forced to retreat, leaving 267 dead, four flags, a trumpet and various weapons in these villages”

Atrocities by Avro Cemovic in Plavë in 1912-1913

“Avro Cemović was the first to establish extraordinary military-royal courts and immediately began executing innocent people. He shot the first group of them in Racina, Plav, on March 5, 1913. The execution was carried out by the commander of the Plav military battalion, Vukota Pantović. He executed in the presence of the people summoned with a “bell”: Mulla Sado-Musiqi, Demë Marković, Osman-aga Shehu, Beqo Alimul, the brothers: Hajro and Jonuz Omeragaj, the brothers: Agan and Emin Ferri (Hasan Ferri’s uncles), the brothers: Mazo and Hako Haxhinushi, and Shaqo Ferri. ‘On the same day, two groups of 8 townspeople were also shot. Meanwhile, on the same day, in Guci, Ramë Isufi, Kukaj, was shot, who was the first person publicly shot in this town by Avro Cemi.”

Atrocities by Millun Pantoviqi, Tule Gjuriganin and Ballsha Ballshiq in 1913

“Millun Pantoviqi, Tule Gjuriganin, and, of course, Ballsha Ballshiq (former Mulla Hajra. In this group we find people from these brothers: From Nikogaj: Hasan Bajri, Adem Basha, Haxhi Shabani, Ali Frci, Bajr Zeqiri, Ibrahim Rrustemi and Syl Istrefi. From Omeragaj: Avdi Hasani, Iber Ahmetaga, and Avdi. From Bekteshaj: Mulla Emini, Mulla Hasi. From Delaj: Mujk Ahmeti. From Laligiq: Haxhi Jakupi. From Radongiq: Adem and Din Tali. From Kolinas: Hasan Smajli. From Sujkoviq: Ramë Nuri. From Merkulaj: Nuro Hysi. From Ferataj: Asllan Jakupi. From Balidemaj: Bajram Haxhia and Arif Avdyli. From Dervishaj: Halil Sejdi. From Qosaj: Adem Zeka. From the Gogajs: the brothers, Shog and Hul Sokoli. From the Hasangjekajs: Muj Gali. From the Dedushajs: Bajram Xhuku. Then: Ibrahim Rrustemi from Vuthaj”.

Atrocities in Plav and Gucia in 1912 by Radoimr Vesovic

“On November 28, 1912, Albania was declared independent, as a natural result of the four-month Albanian uprisings of 1909-1912. Delegates from Plava, Gucia, Peja and Gjakova to the National Assembly of Vlora were sent: Rexhep Bey, Mithat Frashëri, Bedri Bey and Sali Gjuka, Dukagjini – who, in this assembly, he was also elected “councillor in the composition of the senate”.

In these days, while Albania was being reborn in Vlora, in the Province of Plav and Gucia, Radomir Veshovic committed massacres unprecedented in history. After conquering these gorges, he headed for Valbona – based on the advice of the local Montenegrins (rajas) that without conquering Valbona, that natural fortress of the Highlands, he could not conquer Shkodra either.

Veshovic attacked Valbona from the direction of Qafë e Borit. After Kollata, they burned the house of Rexhë Mehmet, Metaliaj burning Rexhe in it too. And then they entered Valbona, where the Vuthjane brotherhood – Selimaj, lived, who hid in the tower. After a superhuman resistance, all five sons of Haxhi Ali, Selimaj were killed: Mushak Haxhia Brahim Haxhia Sherbet Haxhia Prrok Haxhia and Abdyl Haxhia.

Only Sherbet’s son, Haxhiu, 17, escaped from this house, who, after being killed by a Montenegrin officer, hides in a cave with an old woman. When he is called to surrender, he calms the old woman down before whom he is killed at the door of the cave. Then Haxhiu refuses to surrender until Veshovic himself gives him the “trust”, who takes him with him and unites him with other internees from this region in Niksic, where he stays for 6 months and is released with others. “

Atrocities against the Gjonbalaj family in Vuthaj

“In many villages, houses were burned and men were killed in front of their wives and children, then the unfortunate mothers were forced to assist in the spectacle of the massacre of their children, who were cut into pieces”. This was the case, for example, in the Gjonbalaj poplars in Vuthaj, where the following were massacred: Plak Tahiri, Qosaj, Kamer Neziri, Gjonbalaj. Then, on the threshold of his own house, they massacred the 80-year-old old man: Sylë Istrefin-Gjonbalaj, etc. “The Serbo-Montenegrin genocide for changing religion and the baptism of children show that these people with QOPOR culture, had not forgotten the vices of the Serbo-Montenegrin, the vices of the wild man, without religion, without feelings and who rules over his relatives based on instincts …”

Atrocities in Dukagjin, Hoti and Qerem in Vuthaj in 1913

“During those days of March 1913, a Montenegrin bandit appeared in Qerem i Vuthajve and shot 20 Albanians from Çerema of Vuthaj:

Ramë Smajlin-Ahmetaj, Deli Smajlin-Ahmetaj, Hysen Smajlin-Ahmetaj, Hamëz Ademi-Ahmetaj, Sadri Ademi-Ahmetaj, Canë Ademi-Ahmetaj, Xhok Halilin- Ahmetaj, Bali Halilin-Ahmetaj, Etehem Zeqirin-Ahmetaj, Beke Zeqirin- Ahmetaj Ali Zeqirin-Ahmetaj, Ahmet Fazlinë-Ahmetaj, Hysen Nimanin- Ahmetaj, Xhuk Nimanin-Ahmetaj, Azem Nimanin-Ahmetaj, Bekë Smajlin- Ahmetaj, Brahirn Sylën-Ahmetaj, Beqir Z. Goçaj Zymer H. Goçaj, Sadri H. Goçaj.

Of all these, only Brahim Syla survived, who had not been caught by the rifles and was pulled from among the dead after the Montenegrins left and lived until recently, telling about the horror he experienced. The same group, returning to Plav, massacred Hajdar Osman-Qosaj in Hot, nailing him alive to the cross, as they had nailed Christ, and then cutting his flesh with knives they took out his soul.

While Alush B. Qosaj they took with them and killed him somewhere near Nakuti. The Avro Cemi massacres would certainly have continued throughout May, had the European powers not intervened after the case of the priest of Gllogjan in Peja – Luigj Pal, who, on March 7, 1913, Montenegrin criminals first cut off two fingers of his right hand, in order to cross himself with only 3 fingers, and then killed him.

This was the reaction of A-H and the entire Christian-Catholic world. The problem was also discussed at the Conference of Ambassadors in London, where Serbia and Montenegro were asked: “… to ensure effective protection of the Muslim and Catholic Albanian population in the territories left to them (Serbo-Montenegrins – R.D.)”.

And when, as the people say – the word got out about the massacres that Montenegro committed in the Dukagjin Plain and Plavë and Guci, then Krajl Nikola interrupted the shameful process of the criminals and supposedly formed a commission for the investigation and punishment of the guilty for the crimes committed! Krajl Petri also did such a thing, which is also seen from the order that on April 8, 1913, the Serbian Supreme Command issued to the Third Serbian Army, where among other things it is said: “… in the territory of Kosovo, the forced conversion of Albanians to Orthodoxy should not continue”.

Montenegrin war criminals Vuksan Dragović, Milan Veshović, Milun Pantović, Tule Đuriganin, Radoje Zegević, Milivoje Dragović, Vukota Pantovic and Simo Čukić in 1913

“The commission formed by the Montenegrin Ministry of Internal Affairs on May 17, 1913, worked in Guci from June 12-21 and blamed the former district captain, Milivoje Dragović, and all the members of the temporary royal military court for all the murders, burnings, tortures, rapes, and massacres: Ballša Ballšić (Mulla Hajrën), Vuksan Dragović, Milan Veshović, Milun Pantović, Tule Đuriganin, and Radoje Zegević, who were allegedly imprisoned. In addition to these, the two commanders of the battalions that arrived in Plav – Vukota Pantović and in Guci – Simo Čukić were also blamed.”

Atrocities in Qafë Previsë in 1913

“According to the (anonymous) popular rhapsody and popular tradition, it turns out that more people were shot than we find in Dragović’s lists and indictments. For example. In no list do we find the 16-year-old Halil Niman, the nephew of Mem Osa-Gelaj (the son of Mema – as the popular rhapsody calls him) that both of them, nephew and grandfather, were shot in Qafë i Previsë with the group of Hasan Bajri-Nikogaj on March 9, 1913. It is worth mentioning here that Hasan Gele, Vesel Selimi and Reko Dema from the Celaj family were also shot in Drezovica along with 9 Çerema and Dragobia.”

Montenegrin atrocities in World War I

“The First World War found this region, as well as the whole of Kosovo and beyond, in great misery, massacred, plundered, burned, with a population halved and an economy completely destroyed. In Guci, on the eve of this war, during the spring of 1915, numerous Montenegrin armed forces had gathered, which exercised an unprecedented terror on the local population and, from this region, on June 8 of that year, they crossed the political border of Albania and attacked Shkodra, which they occupied on June 27, 1915 and thus Krajl Nikola realized the “sacred dream of his life”.

Serbo-Montenegrin atrocities in Rugova, Bogë, Dugajë, Shtupeq, and Koshutan committed by Commander Shaigić and Stjepa Stjepanović in 1913-1914

“The Serbian army behaved even more ruthlessly than in 1913-1914. Wherever they passed, they left desert. The largest massacres took place in the 13 villages of Rugova, where they burned 410 houses. In Bogë and Dugajë alone, in addition to the many massacres they committed, they killed 30 women and children and burned 57 houses. In Košuta and Shtupeq (Shtupeq i Madh and Vogel) and Small) they killed and massacred 206 people and burned 163 houses.

In total, in Rugova, 946 people were killed during those days. Meanwhile, in Plav and its surroundings, 450 people were killed, mainly women and children, and 489 houses were burned. The small population of Rugova that survived retreated, together with the insurgents, to the Plav region, and from there, with the insurgents and the local population, to the Gjakova Highlands and the Shkodra region.

About the massacres that the Serbian-Montenegrin army committed in those days in Plavë, a certain Gedo Qulafiqi says: “The Montenegrin army with the commander Shaigić, composed of 6 battalions of the Vaso-Viqas from two “nahi” attacked Plavë and Guci, encircling: Murinë-Plavë and Libovicë-Guci. The first cannon shot was launched from Drezovica, in Plavë.

In addition to the massacre and tortures, there was no shortage of beatings, rapes and everything that was attempted during the 24 hours. Many died in the streams and even today the traces of blood are recognizable on the walls of the Rexhepajav mosque”. Meanwhile, Zyfer Musiqi, among other things, wrote: “… and for several days it was allowed for anyone to do whatever they wanted with the Muslims (this is what the Titoist calls these residents – RD.).

Plagues and everything that could be done were carried out (…) murders, mass killings and slaughter of women, children and the elderly, because the able-bodied people fled…” Meanwhile, Xh. Shatri adds: “The government burned hundreds of houses and shot and bayoneted thousands of innocent people (…) 489 houses were burned, and 500 people were killed”.

The rest of the population that managed to escape fled to Malësia and Shkodra. Shaban S. Hasangjekaj, a contemporary and participant in the events in question, described the withdrawal of Rugova refugees through Plavë-Guci-Vuthaj-Shalë-Shkodër as follows: “It was March 1919. Sunny day, fresh snow. An endless column of refugees. There were mostly from Rugova, but also from our “mim-leqeti”.

At the peak of Peja, a 17-18 year old girl, as beautiful as a ball and very beautiful from Rugova, slipped in the snow and flew down thousands of meters, until she stopped on the plain of Shala. How miserable it was to see someone in such a state and not see what was happening to them. The next day we buried them in Shala.

On the road, our cows would give birth, and we would hunt them down as soon as they were born, and we would walk. We believed and said they had “hallku” (people) hunt. What “shit” we have got”. Thus, the escaped population, after an unusually difficult and dangerous journey through the Albanian Alps, full of snow, hungry, sheep and goats, reached the villages of Tropoja, Shkodra or in Shkodra itself, where they mainly settled in its district: Bushat and Barbullush.

We learn about this best from a letter from the village chief of Vuthaj, which he sent to the Kosovo Committee on March 22, 1920, where, among other things, it is said: “From 200 Vuthaj (Plavë) villages, about 1,700 people have left here and settled in the Tropoja and Shkodra Highlands (in Shala – RD.)”. The letter was signed by Cun Mula (Gjonbalaj), Deli Shpendi (Ulaj), Cub Maxhuni (Bruncaj), Deli Beqiri (Ahmetaj) and Hysen Syla (Vucetaj).”

Atrocities in Nokshiq, Podgur and Arzhanicë in 1920-1921

“From a letter that the patriots of Peja and Plavë-Gucia sent to the Kosovo Committee in those days, we learn that: “The murders, looting, death sentences and dishonors are continuing without a trace (…) some seventy Albanian women have been massacred in a very ugly way”. In Nokšić, in other words, the towers were transformed into barricades and did not surrender until the enemy razed them to the ground, as happened with the tower of Zymer Maliqit-Bucaj, who was heroically helped by his mother – Kaja, until the last minute of his life.

In Arzhanica, Halil M. Shabaj, etc. were massacred. The situation in this province after its occupation by Yugoslavia, namely, the occupation by the Kingdom of the Serbian Orthodox Church – as it began to be called after 1918 – is best informed by the letter of the Kosovo Committee sent to the Albanian Ministry in Tirana, on February 28, 1921, which states: “In Podgur i Pejës, in Rugova, in Plavë and in Guci, the Serbs have burned hundreds of houses and have run over thousands of innocent people with bayonets.

Another letter from Kosovo on April 3, 1921, informs us: “The villages were razed to the ground, children, women and the elderly were chopped up and divided into pieces. “Whoever could capture the mountains was separated from his own people forever.” The American state also learned about these massacres: “

The British Embassy in Washington has informed the State Department (…) regarding the massacres in Albanian villages in Montenegro: Gusinje, Plavje, Peja, Gjakova, Pozhur (Podgur – R.D.) and Rozaje (…) the purpose of which is the extermination of the Albanian population in those lands…” – these are the words of the American Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, told his colleague to his British counterpart, Lord Balfour in Paris on 18 April 1919. Stjepa Stjepanović, on his own orders, through the military leaders of the Zeta Division, not only kills and roasts the few inhabitants who remained in this region, but does not even leave those who had fled to Shkodra alone.”

Reference

Author: Rexhep Dedushaj, The Plav-Gucia Region through the Centuries “Krahina e Plav e Gucis Neper Shekuj”. 1993. Edited and translated by Petrit Latifi.