In a recent excavation in Suhodoll, near North Mitrovica, human remains were uncovered and exhumed, with strong suspicions that they could belong to a victim of the Kosovo War. These remains will be sent for forensic analysis and DNA testing as part of the ongoing efforts to identify missing persons from the war.
This discovery follows a similar operation earlier this year, when forensic experts retrieved human remains from another location in northern Kosovo for further examination.
During the 1998/1999 Kosovo War, approximately 13,000 people were killed, with 10,794 of them being ethnic Albanians and the rest belonging to various other ethnic groups. Currently, over 1,600 individuals remain missing, many of whom have been found in mass graves in Serbia over the years.
In 2023, Kosovo and Serbia reached a joint declaration on the issue of missing persons, under the EU-mediated dialogue aimed at normalizing relations. The declaration promised full access to reliable information, including classified documents, as well as joint efforts to locate the missing through a commission led by the European Union. However, one year later, none of these commitments have been implemented in practice.
The recent discovery in Suhodoll highlights the need for continued efforts to locate and identify the missing persons from the Kosovo War, ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
