The loss of three brothers in the battle in Doganaj, Kaçanik was not easy for Zaim Zenuni (Salijaj), a survivor of this massacre of April 13, 1999.
Through a story, he brought back memories of the war, telling how at a very young age he experienced severe family losses.
As a veteran of the war in Kosovo, he recalled the beginnings of his involvement in the war immediately after completing secondary education.
"At that time I was 18 and a half years old and I finished high school in medicine, that is, on July 13, while on July 17 I was in Tropoja, Albania, I was supplied with weapons, I did the initial exercises that I had to do and on August 27 I entered the territory of Kosovo, initially we entered Kabash in Prizren. Then I participated in the offensives with the Kaçanik group, we were a group of 46 soldiers. We participated in the wars in Gllogjan, Suharek, finally we came to Jezerc, on September 1 we finished the Jezerc offensive '98. Then we started the activity in this part to spread the KLA in the Kaçanik part", he said.
In his story, he also touched on family history, remembering his murdered brothers and their contribution during the war, including supplying the army with bread and engaging in medical services.
He also mentioned the ongoing persecution by the Serbian regime over the years, including arrests and mistreatment of family members.
"We as a family have been mistreated three times by the Serbian regime. In '91 as a family, people after people, they took away the three brothers, and the parent. Then in '94 the same case, that is, they took away the two brothers and the father. And in '98 they took the three brothers to the police station in Ferizaj, they also mistreated the workers who worked in the factory, in the bakery that we had there," recalled Zenuni.
Asked how he had received the news of the murder of the brothers, Sabri Salijaj, Kemajl Salijaj and Izahir Salijaj, he said that he had been on the front line and the information had gradually come to him from his comrades.
"I was in the army on April 13th and I saw that there was heavy fighting, but I was also involved in the Anena area. And at the end of the day, a comrade of mine, Musa Zenuni, whom I respect a lot, came to me and said Zaim said we should go out and check because there was fighting in this area, my brother said I should ask about your family because there was not enough communication then. And we went out, during the journey to come to this area, during the journey, a boy, he also says, he doesn't know me, he says to Musa, Zenuni said did you tell Zaim that your brother was killed? And Musa told me that Zaim said only one brother was killed initially. During our journey, he said to me, I feel bad, he said that two brothers were killed, but before I came here, they told me that they live in a strong place that they killed three brothers. Now in that "I felt myself getting tired spiritually, but I knew that a war cannot be won without blood," he recalled.
He also painfully remembers the moment when he said his final goodbye to his brothers.
"It's a very sad day because on April 13th I buried my siblings myself, here in another place, in the "Cakaj Neighborhood", I buried them myself and I took my parents in the evening, I saw my father alive, I took him and we went through this part. I went through this part with my father on my back because my father was almost 70 years old at the time and it's hard for me to remember this story. It brings me back to life as if it were happening today", he said.
Speaking about the wartime, he emphasized that from the beginning they had been aware of the great risk they were taking upon themselves, but their determination for freedom had been greater than fear.
"When we started this journey, we knew that we couldn't escape... 03:27... But it's a pleasure now among society, I have war veterans, I have war comrades, it's a good part of that past history. It's a part that was a little unimaginable as a KLA soldier, as the Liberation Army to face a Serbian occupier who had almost a third of Europe in armament and military power, yes, we faced that too," he said.
He confessed that after the loss of three brothers on April 13, he was forced to leave Kosovo by command decision, due to a severe family blow.
As for institutional care, the survivor expressed deep disappointment, emphasizing that the state is not doing enough for the martyrs and their families.
"No. The state, as long as the governors discuss the issue of war veterans every day, whether they are paid too much or too little, is not worth it. The state is not interested in either martyrs or martyrs. I regret saying this because I have contributed a lot to this state. I had another dream for this state, that this state would take great care of the fallen and the children of martyrs. If it is not taken care of, I will survive. The state must take great care of the families of martyrs, the children of martyrs, the children of victims," he said.
Meanwhile, today, in honor of the 27th anniversary of the fall of the martyrs and martyrs in the village of Doganaj in Kaçanik, a memorial academy was held, where those who fell for freedom were honored./KP
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