Authored by Petrit Latifi

The traditional bravery and invincible resistance in all the merciless torrents of history in Rugova are special pages of heroism in the history of the Albanian people.

The Rugovas, in all national movements, have responded to the challenges. They became an impassable dam for all the invaders, who aimed to conquer this proud and impregnable part of the Albanian homeland. Their legacy in Rugova has been marked by Turkish and Slavic memory, and in our time it has also been marked by the history of Milosevic’s barbarity. The Rugova Highlands have made a name for bravery and wisdom, for hospitality and generosity, a door always open for a friend, a bullet in the forehead for an enemy…

The Selman Lajçi family is a well-known family in Rugova, but also in the history of the Albanian people. The first, Rexhë Avdia and Adem Isufi from the village of Pepaj, have made a name for themselves in national faith and bravery, since the time of the Albanian League of Prizren. They fought bravely in Plavë, Gusi and Nokšić against the Slavic occupying forces, supported by Bismarck’s Europe and the Ottoman Empire, which, unable to cope with its own decay and disintegration, began to trade with Albanian lands.

Bekë Lajçi

Selman’s father, Bekë Lajçi, had fled his homeland to save as much as he could, in conditions and circumstances when the collective extermination of Albanians was threatened. Under mandatory pressure to move from his homeland, he takes the path of the world, but survives thanks to his intelligence and determination. At a time when many Albanians were fleeing to Turkey to escape extermination, Bekë Lajçi and his family lived in Prejlep, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, before finally returning to his birthplace in the late 1950s.

Bekë and Zylfije Lajçi raised two sons and four daughters with great effort. Selmani was born in Ugelë, Peshter, on February 9, 1954. He received his primary education in a village near Prejlep. He graduated from the Agricultural High School in Peja in 1976. In the 1976-1977 school year, he enrolled in the Faculty of Agriculture in Prishtina, in the first generation of this faculty. Since he had talent and intelligence in his studies, with extraordinary diligence he completed his studies in record time.

In 1980, he graduated and started working as an agricultural engineer in the village of Arbnesh (formerly Vitomirica, Peja). The Albanian uprising of 1981 did not find Selman Lajçi, his brother Salihu and some like-minded people unprepared. Selman had at that time conceived and projected the ideal of freedom. Together with his brother Salihu, Mustafa Lajçi, Ujkan Nikçi and others, he founded the national militant group called Independence.

After massive demonstrations, the loyal regents of the Titoist government smelled the activity of the Lajçi brothers and without delay arrested several members of the group. The work and the immigrant activity had been taken over by his brother, Salihu, while Selman’s activity remained undetected by the regime’s spies.
Selman continued his work but did not stop his illegal activity. He took care of his brother Salihu and his friends who were in prison.

In 1985 Selman Lajçi took a job at the United Bank of Kosovo, in the Agriculture sector. At that time, with the aim of professional advancement, he enrolled in postgraduate studies in Zagreb and in 1990 graduated with a Master of Science in Agronomy. In the 90s of the 20th century, Selman Lajçi, like many idealists and activists of that time, encountered the repressive measures of the occupying power, which expelled tens of thousands of Kosovo Albanians who were not loyal to the Belgrade regime.

The Lajçi family was targeted because of their inextricable, chain activity for the benefit of the nation and homeland. Even in repressive conditions and circumstances, Selman Lajçi did not break off his patriotic activity, on the contrary, he deepened his activity in a new concept of action. He participated in the Movement for the Forgiveness of Blood, joined the Green Party, and the Intellectuals’ Forum.

Selman did all of this with specific goals. Legal party activity enabled him to act and engage in advancing the liberation idea. His ideal friend was his brother Salihu, who had successfully and with particular stoicism faced the challenges in the prisons of Serbia. Both brothers shone like two penetrating rays of freedom, illuminating the darkness of slavery and the thick veil of pacifism.

Selman was married to Nexhmije Nikçi, with whom he had a harmonious married life, crowned with the birth of four sons and two daughters. In addition to illegal activity, Selman Lajçi also developed professional activity, being engaged in ecology, agriculture and activities of this nature. He was the founder of the magazine “Gurra” and of a special Sandžako-Kosovo association, which aimed to integrate the Sandžaks, most of whom were of Albanian origin.

Since he was in the flow of the legal and illegal movement of the time, Selman Lajçi maintained illegal contacts with and Adrian Krasniqi, Bahri Fazliu and other activists. In November 1997, at the time of the public appearance of the Kosovo Liberation Army in Llaushe in Drenica, Selman Lajçi and his comrades had established the first KLA cell for Rugova and the Drin Valley.

The expansion and consolidation of the KLA ranks found Selman, Salihu, his cousins ​​and friends of the ideal not only prepared for the war against the invaders, but also on the battlefield.

Selman, Salihu, Besnik and many Rugova fighters in July 1998 formed the Rugova Regional Headquarters, in the village of Pepaj. Selman was appointed responsible for information of this military headquarters.
Later, from this headquarters, the 136th Brigade “Rugova” was formed, whose commander was Selman’s brother, Salih Lajçi, while Selman remained the commander for Morale and Information of this same brigade.

Regardless of his responsibility in the Brigade, Selman also performed many other tasks, always being at the forefront of the front, in supplying weapons, in logistical care and others. He was given with all his being in the organization, expansion and consolidation of the ranks of the Kosovo Liberation Army, in the Dukagjin region and especially in Rugova.
On August 24, 1998, Selman Lajçi was at the forefront of the front in defense of the village of Shtupeç i Madh, which was threatened by the penetration of armed Serbian military and police gangs.

Meanwhile, he was also found in other combat points such as in Qafë Hajllë, in Drelaj, Kuçishtë in Qafë e Qyqes and everywhere in the undefeated bodies of Rugova and Dukagjin.

On August 30 and 31 of that same year, Selman Lajçi mobilized his forces to help the logistics formation that was bringing the caravan with 30 horses and mules loaded with weapons taken to Albania.
In September 1998, Selman Lajçi and his comrades were put in charge of protecting and treating the civilian population of Dukagjin, which, under conditions and circumstances of extermination, by the Serbian massacre gangs, had set off for Albania and Montenegro.

At the same time, he helped to successfully infiltrate hundreds of fighters from the Shala Operational Zone, who had successfully crossed the border and were preparing to infiltrate Shala in Bajgora.
Selman Lajçi and the brave men who surrounded him had become a reliable shield of the war not only in Dukagjin. He was everywhere when needed.

He was even where he was not called upon, but knowing the situation, he offered all-round assistance. Work, hustle, toil, sweat, unstoppable activity on the one hand and bravery, courage, the spirit of sacrifice on the other, were typical physical and spiritual characteristics of Selman Lajçi. For these special qualities of his temperament, all his comrades and soldiers loved, honored and respected him.

Selman seems to have been waiting for his time, as if he had been born to contact the KLA, in Dukagjin, where the great entrance and exit was, the great gate of all the war zones, from Drenica to Karadak.
He had responded with lightning speed to the request of the commander of the Dukagjin Operational Zone, Ramush Haradinaj, for the withdrawal of the wounded from Jabllanicë to Rugova.

His fellow soldiers and comrades, such as Flamur Zekaj, Mahir Lajçi, Avdi Halilaj, Enver Krasniqi and others, stand out for their fighting spirit, their extremely expressed feelings of sacrifice, and their parental care for their soldiers, especially in delicate moments of fighting.
Selman also made a valuable contribution in transporting and contracting weapons that were purchased both in Albania and in Rozaje and Montenegro.

In addition to his activity in the war and in his unstoppable movement to keep the front line under control, Selman Lajçi also kept a diary, or war chronicle. The KLA superior of the Dukagjin Zone, Faton Mehmetaj, published in the weekly newspaper Fokus some parts of the diary written by Selman Lajçi on the war fronts since the beginning of April 1999.
1.4.1999.

“Today at around 10:00 am, detonations were heard in the direction of Istog and Cerca. After we reached the front line, we realized that Cerca and Lubozhda had been attacked. The forces of the 133rd Brigade and some fighters of the 136th Brigade, “Rugova,” confronted the Serbian hordes. They began shelling our positions. The confrontation lasted about six hours. The Serbs shelled with 82.mm mortars, large-caliber cannons and mortars. There were no casualties among the fighters, while four villagers from Vrella were wounded among the civilian population…. 2.2.1999″

Around 2:00 pm I went to the Headquarters of the 133rd Brigade “Adrian Krasniqi”. After meeting with Azemi, Agimi and Naimi, we talked about arming and transporting the weapons to this area. I explained with evidence and a register who had taken the weapons and in what quantity.
4.4. 1999

“I am here together with Ujkan and Ramush. There is war here and the atmosphere of war is felt everywhere. It was requested that this point be reinforced. Adriani Emrimi, Xhevdeti, Vetëtima and others went there. This area is surrounded on all sides. Of interest is the withdrawal of those who are lying in the hospital l.”
7.4.1999

“In the evening we set off for Kaliqan. On the way in a column of soldiers and with several vehicles we crossed the Peja-Mitrovicë road. The Serbian police attacked the vehicles with the wounded but there were no casualties. It is considered that during the fighting the enemy suffered losses”.
8.4.1999

“Meanwhile, around 2 pm, it was necessary to send reinforcements to the point called Te Varret e Jabllanicës. Avdi Halilaj, Xhevdet Lajçi, Enver Krasniqi “Hoxha” Xhezair Belegu, “Vetëtima”, Besniku and several other fighters were found at the point. The Serbs were shelling and attacking from Kodra e Novosella and from the “Atlantida” cafe in Vitomirica. After several hours of fighting, six of our soldiers were wounded, among them “Hoxha”.

The enemy suffered losses in men and in combat equipment. 6-8 Serbian policemen were killed there. The exact number is not known, because they have removed the bodies. In revenge they burned the Myrtajve Neighborhood of Koshutani and some Albanian houses in Vitomirica”
17.4.1999

“With superiors Naim Maloku, major Murati, Ruzhdiu, Salihu and Ujkani we went to the Headquarters for a consultation. It was in the interest of the responsible of the 136th “Rugova” brigade to consult with the above-mentioned superiors regarding the positioning of our forces, depending on the human potential and armament”.

These fragmentary, but very meaningful notes, give us to understand that Selman Lajçi had become one with the war, whether at the front, in information, or by keeping short, but extremely important notes about the heroic war of the glorious Kosovo Liberation Army. Although a magister, an intellectual of academic level, Selman Lajçi was a superior and a simple soldier at the same time, as the moment, the circumstances and the war required.

On April 18, 1999, a bloody battle took place in the KLA bastion, called Qafë Hajllë. The fighting was carried out neck for neck. That day, Xhavit Lajçi fell as a martyr. Rugova’s brave fighters had not allowed the Serbian forces to take Qafë. The fighting continued the next day, April 19. In the log of bravery, on the altar of the homeland, Besnik Lajçi and Ramush Lajçi also fell as martyrs.

The enemy forces, despite the heavy losses, were trying to penetrate the KLA bastion. Selman with several fighters took over the withdrawal of the body of the martyr Ramush Lajçi. The withdrawal of Besnik’s body was impossible. In a superhuman effort to penetrate the place where Ramush had fallen, Selmani at the moment investigates the enemy ambush and reacts: “Watch out”!

The enemy weapon takes aim at Selmani’s body, at the time when he, together with four comrades, was bending down to pull Ramush’s body. Selmani falls on the altar of the Fatherland, falls on the Hajla Pass, marking the shameful retreat of the Serbian forces, which were unable to conquer Hajla or Rugova. In an attempt to take the body of the martyr Ramush Lajci, four more fighters are injured.

Selman Lajci, Besnik Lajci and Ramush Lajci, their comrades and relatives initially bury them, exactly where they had fallen, in the place stained with their blood, which had become an impregnable wall and victorious fortress of freedom.

The reburial of these three torchbearers of freedom took place on August 29, 1999. With military honors and the participation of thousands of freedom-loving people from all ethnic lands of Albania, they were buried in the Qafe e Pepajve, thus entering eternity and the history of the glorious KLA.

Selman Lajçi left behind his parents, father Beka and mother Zylfinë, as well as his brother Salihu. He also left behind his wife, Nexhmija, then his sons: Fatos, Arbër, Dardani, Drilon and daughters: Arlinda and Djellezë.
The family of martyr Selman Lajçi has received recognition from the Ministry of Defense of the Provisional Government of Kosovo, from the Dukagjini Operational Zone and from other institutions.
Writings by Faton Mehmetaj, Hasan Hasani and others have been published about his life and work. (A. Q.)

Reference

https://www.radiokosovaelire.com/selman-beke-lajci-9-2-1954-19-4-1999/