In an atmosphere filled with pain and pride, in Gllogjan the anniversary of the battle of April 16, 1999 was commemorated, one of the most serious events of the war in Kosovo, where fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army, facing a much larger force, sacrificed themselves to protect Albanian civilians.
The former commander of the Dukagjini Operational Zone, Ramush Haradinaj, recalled the sacrifice of his fellow fighters, describing this event as one of the most difficult and decisive moments of the war in Kosovo.
Haradinaj stressed that the battle of that day, where his brother Shkëlzen also fell, was not the result of a direct command order, but a decision of the fighters themselves to protect Albanian civilians from Serbian forces.
“And now it was an extremely difficult moment for me as well, how to act? To give an order to go and stop a Serbian expedition with the very small potential that we had against that very large expedition? There were motorized vehicles, there was military equipment, everything. Or to remain silent while Serbian forces were going to massacre our families, the defenseless civilians, women and children? Fortunately, they made it easier for me, they did not let me make the decision, they made it themselves. When Shkelzen, Hashim, Fatmir, Luan heard, they did not ask. They said ‘we are going.’,” Haradinaj said.
He added that the fighters who reached the front line first fell as martyrs, while the battle was fought under completely unequal conditions, without proper combat positions and with a severe lack of equipment.
According to him, the confrontation of April 16 was a pure act of will not to allow the massacre of defenseless civilians, describing this as one of the most meaningful examples of sacrifice of KLA fighters.
On behalf of the Organization of the KLA War Veterans, deputy chairman Gazmend Syla praised the figures of the martyrs and their contribution to the path toward freedom.
“Shkëlzen is not covered by all words of glory, his figure is covered only by two words: INDEPENDENT KOSOVO, because independent Kosovo is Shkëlzen Haradinaj. Hasim Misin Halilaj, the young eyes among the first in Gllogjan… Fatmir Smajl Nimanaj, among the first who lit the flame of war in Dukagjin. With his friends, sometimes with Dauti, sometimes with Shkëlzen, the rifle made them brothers, the ideal made them one… Luan Gani Nimanaj, loved by everyone, always with a smile. Ali Agim Ali Selmanaj, brave among comrades, a comrade of the brave. He separated the dates of their falling, but never separated them from those we commemorate today, together even today where they are in the light of glory,” Syla said.
On behalf of the families of the martyrs, Kujtesa Nimanaj took the word, who with deep emotion and humility thanked all those present for the honoring and remembered the sacrifice of the fallen, stressing that their memory will remain alive forever.
