by Lorik Sekiraqa (Sekiraça)
Summary
After the 1878 Congress of Berlin established new borders, Albanian bands operated in the Sekiraçë area (between Jabllanica and Kosanica) to protect villages and the frontier. Led initially by Nezir Sekiraça (killed by Serbs) and later by Adem Sekiraça (with Aziz Sekiraça), these groups fought Serbian forces while sometimes serving Ottoman border control. Serbian writer Aleksa Bogosavljević portrayed the village as a den of bandits and accused Adem of killing around 30 Serbian guards. Though Ottoman-backed, the bands faced punishment for raids into Serbian territory. The text draws from collective memory and Shpend Avdiu’s book.
The Albanian bands of Sekiraçë between Jabllanica and Kosanica who protected Albanian villages from Serbian invaders in 1878
Meanwhile, in the area between Jabllanica and Kosanica, an Albanian band operated in the village of Sekiraçë, where the most prominent figure was Adem Sekiraça. According to Aleksa Bogosavljević in his book “About the Albanians” (published in Nish in 1897), this village was inhabited by robbers and bandits. He also accused Adem Sekiraça of killing around 30 Serbian border guards and bylykbashas (commanders). Moreover, he did not answer even to the Ottoman authorities in Pristina.
Based on collective memory, after the border was established in Sekiraçë following the Congress of Berlin, groups were formed to protect the border and surrounding Albanian villages. The initial leader of this Albanian group in Sekiraçë was Nezir Sekiraça, but after he was killed by Serbs, leadership passed to Adem Sekiraça, with Aziz Sekiraça also participating.
In addition to fighting the Serbs, they were also obliged to serve the Ottoman army that controlled the border. Thus, these were organized bands supported by the Ottoman Empire itself. However, they were sometimes punished by Ottoman authorities, as crossing into Serbian territory was strictly forbidden and carried heavy penalties such as fines (in gold liras), imprisonment, or exile.
Source
Taken from the book “Çetat në vilajetin e Kosovës dhe të Manastirit” by Shpend Avdiu. *Nezir Sekiraça – my great-great-grandfather.
