Authored by Hysen Ibrahimi. Translation by Petrit Latifi.
SERBIAN ATTACKS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT CAUSED THE MARCH 2004 RIOTS, LIKE THE BANJSKA CASE ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
The March 2004 riots resulted in the killing of my brother Isak Fazli Ibrahimi (38) and Ajvaz Mehmet Shatrollin (62), Fatmir Avdullah Avdullahu (38), Ferit Sefer Çitaku (24) with a total of 19 civilians, including 11 Albanians and 8 Serbs, while over 900 people, mostly Albanians, were seriously injured.
On March 16, 2004
Some Serbs in the village of Qabr in the Mitrovica Municipality, deliberately chased Albanian children who were on their property and were playing with wild geese near the Lumbardh River (Ish-Ibër). Albanian children, in order to escape the dog that the Serbs had intentionally released on the Albanian children, they, fleeing from the dog, were forced to enter the Ibar River in the hope of being saved, but unfortunately three drowned: Egzon Zaim Deliu (12), Avni Sheremet Veseli (11) and Florent Çerkin Veseli (9).
Albanians killed by Serb criminals in 2004. Egzon Zaim Deliu, Avni Sheremit Veseli and Florent Cerkin Veseli.
The purpose of the Serbian criminals
This was prepared by the Serbian BIA with the support of the Serbian Government, which has undertaken every action to destabilize the situation in Kosovo, especially in Mitrovica. This has happened every time there have been attempts to stabilize the situation in northern Kosovo, they have staged ideas to cause unrest and destabilize Kosovo, especially the northern part of Mitrovica. The idea of Serbia, in support of French KFOR, had begun plans for the division of the northern part by forcing Albanians to forcibly leave their lands, and many of them have bought their land, houses and apartments. Albanians have never agreed with this idea of Serbia and have consistently opposed it.
The March 17, 2004 riots in Mitrovica
The end of the war in June 1999 was not the end of the war for the Albanian population of Mitrovica and the northern part of Mitrovica. Albanians faced the violence of Serbian criminals who were being expelled from their homes and apartments. In this part, the creation of parallel Serbian structures in the northern part of Mitrovica was allowed and all Albanians were allowed to leave this part by force, while some were forced to sell their properties. Kosovo institutions at that time neither dealt with this problem nor did they help the Albanian population, while the Serbs had strong support from the Serbian government in Serbia.
The following were killed by Serbian paramilitaries on March 17, 2004:
My brother Isak Fazli Ibrahimi (38), Ajvaz Mehmet Shatrollin (62), Fatmir Avdullah Avdullahu (38), Ferit Sefer Çitaku (24).
Serbia’s plan for ethnic cleansing:
The Serbian paramilitaries knew how to provoke the situation to cause chaos and hinder stability in the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, with claims of usurpation of northern Kosovo. They knew that the most serious provocation for the Albanians was when it affected their families, namely their children, and in this regard they went after the Albanian children who were on their property, Egzon Zaim Deliu (12), Avni Sheremet Veseli (11) and Florent Çerkin Veseli (9).
They were chased by the Serbs while they were playing with wild geese across the Lumbardh River (Ish-Ibër). Albanian children playing, a Serb harvesting corn, start cursing their mother in Serbian. But after the Serb who was there and cursing, there was another group of Serbs who started cursing and intentionally turned their dogs on the children who, frightened, start running away and have entered the Lumbardh River to escape, tragically losing their lives.
Serbia has repeatedly caused bloodshed with claims of genocide for ethnic cleansing, forcing thousands of Albanians to flee their indigenous lands. The Serbian BIA, under the leadership of the current Serbian government at that time, is now forcing the Kosovo Serbs, manipulating them to destabilize Kosovo and the region with open provocations.
We have the most recent case when Afrim Bunjaku (April 15, 1973 – September 24, 2023) was a sergeant of the Kosovo Police who was killed in the early hours of Sunday, September 24, 2023 by a group of heavily armed Serbian criminals in the Banjska Attack near the village of Banjska in the Municipality of Zveçan. At the time of the murder, he was commander of the Zveçan Police Station. He was posthumously honored by the President with the “Hero of Kosovo” order.
The Serbian plan to destabilize Kosovo fails
The March 2004 unrest had influenced many decision-makers, that the situation as it is should be changed with faster steps. Based on this, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, tasked the Norwegian, Kai Eide, with drafting a report that would reflect the situation in Kosovo. Eide took this task very seriously and after many visits to Kosovo and the Balkans, where he met representatives of all communities. In October 2005, he submitted the report commissioned by Kofi Annan.
After the report prepared by Mr. Eide, it is concluded that there are many things that can be improved, and aj Kofi Annan recommends that the time has come to begin negotiations on the final status of the Republic of Kosovo.
A few days later, the same recommendation-proposal to the United Nations Security Council is made by Kofi Annan.
And on February 17, 2008, based on this proposal, Kosovo is declared an independent and sovereign state. The Constitution of Kosovo, which gives it all the powers of a state, enters into force on June 15, 2008.
The only relief for the families and all the martyrs who fell for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Kosovo, is when Kosovo is declared a state with the recommendation to the United Nations Security Council made by Kofi Annan.
Reference
Balkan Academia 