The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has commemorated the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the ethnic cleansing of Albanians from northern Mitrovica, recalling the events of the night between 3 and 4 February 2000, when thousands of Albanians were forcibly expelled from their homes.
In a Facebook post, Kurti stressed that through police structures and paramilitary groups, the state of Serbia carried out an operation that resulted in killings, injuries, and the forced displacement of thousands of citizens from their properties.
He underlined that justice for the victims and the rehabilitation of those affected remain ongoing processes, requiring continuous institutional and societal commitment.
Key Points from Kurti’s Statement
Kurti recalled that 26 years ago, Serbian police and the criminal paramilitary group “Bridge Watchers” carried out ethnic cleansing in northern Mitrovica, forcing thousands of Albanians at gunpoint to flee to the south of the Ibar River.
During the operation, 10 Albanians were killed and 25 others wounded, ranging in age from 13 to 65 years old. The victims were named as: Nezir Voca, Shqipe Voca, Niman Sejdiu, Bashkim Rrukeci, Sebiha Abrashi, Selime Berisha, Muharrem Sokoli, Nderim Ajeti, Nerimane Xhaka, and Remzije Canhasi.
Kurti emphasized that only seven months after Kosovo’s liberation, Mitrovica remained the only area not fully freed, where Serbia once again carried out ethnic cleansing, despite the presence of international peacekeeping forces and administration.
According to Kurti, 1,564 Albanian families, totaling 11,364 people, were forcibly expelled from Mitrovica in February 2000.
He noted that justice for this crime has yet to be fully delivered, and that state care, rehabilitation, and human solidarity are still required to address the long-term consequences suffered by victims.
Kurti also highlighted that only in recent years, following the extension of state sovereignty, rule of law, and territorial control, has the return of displaced Albanians begun. Over 150 houses have been built or rebuilt in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo in the past four years.
He cited Mustafë Behrami, who returned in 2024 to live with his family in a home built by the Government of Kosovo, as one such example.
Kurti concluded by stressing that Mitrovica today is a multiethnic city, where citizens of all communities live freely, thanks to justice, equality, and the rule of law upheld by Kosovo’s institutions.
“The people and the state of Kosovo forget nothing and no one—ever,” Kurti stated, adding that recent government actions in northern Kosovo must be viewed in light of the February 2000 ethnic cleansing and the Banjska terrorist attack of 24 September 2023.
On the 26th anniversary, Kurti honored the victims, supported the wounded and displaced, and reaffirmed Kosovo’s commitment to justice, peace, and its future.
