On the 27th anniversary of the fall of the nation's martyrs Shkëlzen Haradinaj, Fatmir Nimanaj, Luan Nimanaj and Hasim Halilaj, homages were paid at the Memorial Complex in Gllogjan.
Haradinaj and his friends fell in defense of civilians in Duboçakë, Maznik.
AAK leader and former commander Ramush Haradinaj stated that April 1999 was a very decisive moment, as according to him a decision had to be made either to stop the Serbian expedition, or to keep quiet about the fact that Serbian forces would massacre their families.
"It's not that simple because it was a long time in the war and there were very decisive moments, so April 1999... The decision made was spontaneous, it was not made by command, but it was the decision of the heroes themselves that we remember today to go and stop an expedition of the Serbian army, of the Serbian forces that had taken that direction to a location of families of Albanian civilians who had taken refuge, so in a valley in Dubočaka there were many families, many children, it had been like that for a long time and they were struggling with food, with problems and now it was a very difficult moment for me as well, how could I act or give an order to go and stop a Serbian expedition with so little potential that we had. The expedition was very big... or to keep quiet about the fact that the Serbian forces were going to massacre our families, defenseless civilians, women, children. Fortunately, they made it easier for me, they didn't let me make the decision, they made the decision themselves", said Haradinaj.
Meanwhile, Gazmend Syla, vice president of OVL-UÇK, said that April 16, 1999, was the hardest day of the war.
"April 16, 1999 was not just a date, it is the most difficult day of the war, it is a wound, but it is also a scenario, it is a date that will be remembered as long as there is sun on this earth. On that day, Gllogjani did not only sacrifice fighters but also carved into eternity the history of how freedom was won. The heroism of the brave men of Gllogjani is not just a memory, it is a testament to the generations to come. Shkëlzen Hilmi Haradinaj, our guide for the young fighters, he was more than a commander, he was a parent, when they made mistakes he taught them, when they got tired he lifted them up, when they lost friends he became their strength. His hand on their heads was a blessing, his embrace was inspiration. Shkëlzen is not described by all the words of glory, his figure is described by only two words: independent Kosovo because independent Kosovo is Shkëlzen Haradinaj", declared Syla.
After the tribute ceremony, the walking tour, known as the "Path of Freedom", began from Gllogjan to Maznik, to the place where they fell heroically.
We recall that General Shkëlzen Haradinaj was the Commander of Combat Operations of the Dukagjini Operational Zone and, with the three senior superiors of the 131st Brigade "Jusuf Gërvalla", Hasim Halilaj, Fatmir Nimanaj and Luan Nimanaj, fell in the Battle of Maznik.
Shkëlzen Haradinaj was born on March 25, 1970 in Gllogjan and is considered one of the main figures of the Kosovo Liberation Army and synonymous with many of the battles of Dukagjini. /EO/
t7 live
