By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Memorie.al / Unlike the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of Marshal Josip Broz Tito and his successors, towards which the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia maintained a hostile stance (at least outwardly) from 1948 until 1991, when that Federation dissolved and the fall of communism began there, with our southern neighbors, the Republic of Greece, official Tirana started a normalization of inter-state relations and reports as early as the mid-1980s, when Enver Hoxha, shortly before his death (1985), published his book, ‘Two Friendly Peoples’! Enver Hoxha had given signals of rapprochement with Greece and normalization of relations with official Athens as early as 1978 (after the break with the People’s Republic of China), when during his visit to the Dropull region (the Greek minority area), he spoke a few words in Greek and in Grapsh also expressed a desire for rapprochement between the two countries.
But as mentioned above, this would become clearly visible a few years later, when on April 11, 1985, the day the official news of Enver Hoxha’s death was announced, while at all border posts of the Greek state their flag was flown at half-mast (as was done at all Albanian border posts and units), along the entire length of Yugoslavia’s border with the Albanian state (from Ulcinj to Ohrid), a large increased presence and deployment of Yugoslav military forces, even with heavy weaponry, was observed! But even though relations between official Tirana and neighboring Greece began to normalize from the early 1980s, and mainly after Enver Hoxha’s death, cross-border incidents between the two countries were not lacking, and in some cases were even very tense and problematic.
This happened because of Albanian citizens who fled to Greece, as happened with Ilia Theodhosi Leka, originally from the village of Glinë (in the Greek minority area of the Gjirokastër district), who after fleeing Albania in early 1982, together with his brother Kristo and their uncle Spiro, for several years conducted hunger strikes and rallies in front of the Albanian embassy in Greece, managing to significantly sensitize Greek public opinion and politics. Likewise, the escaped Albanian Ilia Leka, in 1984 from Athens, sent several threatening letters to Enver Hoxha, Ramiz Alia, Adil Çarçani, and Hekuran Isai, informing them that; if they did not release his father from Spaç prison and his wife with their young son from internment (in the Puka district), he would carry out an act that would shock Greece and Albania.
During his hunger strikes and protests in the center of Athens and those in front of the Albanian embassy, the political fugitive Ilia Leka held several speeches, raising his voice against the dictatorial policies of Enver Hoxha, as a result of which his compatriots lived in extreme poverty, also being deprived of the most elementary human rights and freedoms, such as religious freedom, etc. Likewise, in addition to these, during the years 1982-1986, Ilia Leka also held several protest rallies in other cities and places in Greece, up to the border points with Albania, such as Kakavija, etc., protests which, it must be said, were also exploited by anti-Albanian circles, as well as the Orthodox Church of Greece, who did not fail to also raise the issue of Northern Epirus (Vorio-Epirus) there. Likewise, Ilia Leka gave many interviews to the Greek press and other media from various European countries, as a result of which he was invited to and held speeches at the Council of Europe in Brussels as well as the US Congress.
As a result of all this activity of Ilia Leka in those years in Greece, the Albanian government was forced, in 1989, to release his father (Theodhosi) from Spaç prison and his wife (Maria with their son Anestis) from internment in the Puka district, and allow them to go permanently to Greece, where Ilia awaited them in Athens, where they live and work to this day. While all the above are known from the writings with archival documents and the interview with Ilia Leka that Memorie.al published a few years ago, in this article we are publishing some secret archival documents that have recently been extracted from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (now declassified), which are published for the first time with their respective facsimiles, concerning the “incidents” created by Ilia Leka and several other Albanians who fled in 1985-1986, at the Kakavija border post.
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED FEBRUARY 17, 1986, REPORTING THE “ANTI-ALBANIAN SHOUTS” OF TWO ALBANIAN FUGITIVES, ILIA LEKA AND JEMIN MET HASANI, AT THE KAKAVIJA BORDER POST
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 17.2.1986
GENERAL DEPARTMENT
OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE NO. 39
GJIROKASTRA
On 16.2.1986, at 11:30, at the Greek border post of Kakavija, about 500 organized people came, singing and dancing dances for Northern Epirus (Vorio-Epirus). One Albanian fugitive, Jemin Met Hasani, who fled in May 1985 from the Apsalla post (where he was doing his military service), shouted to the guard of the post-block: “o non-commissioned officer on guard”.
He called out to him to come over to the other side, insulted him, and then continued: “On February 16, 1914, Northern Epirus was created. Albanian land will become Greek land, you officers who keep the soldiers oppressed, one day you will pay for it, you will be hanged, we do not like your propaganda on the radio.
Ksenofon Nushi will find death. I am a soldier of Apsalla, Jemin Met Hasani, I am a soldier of Leonard Kula (commander of the Apsalla border post), what you did to me, here I am, having a good time. At this time, the fugitive Ilia Leka from Glina of Gjirokastra, who fled in 1982, took the floor and said: “You who keep our children on the wires, you who also keep our parents in prisons, you will pay”.
Jemin Met Hasani spoke again: “Hoxha’s government will inevitably be destroyed, as Hoxha died, so wills his government. Albanian land will become Greek land, Northern Epirus belongs to Greece. Where are your churches? All the good things are here”.
While Jemini was speaking, a priest stood close to him. There was also another priest, and wherever he moved, he was accompanied by five people. Around 12:30, some Greek police and soldiers dispersed the groups and the civilians left.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL DEPARTMENT
BAUDIN KAZANI
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED MAY 5, 1986, REPORTING THE SHOUTS AGAINST ENVER HOXHA AND RAMIZ ALIA BY TWO ALBANIAN FUGITIVES, ILIA LEKA AND ANOTHER, AT THE KAKAVIJA POST
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 5.5.1986
GENERAL DEPARTMENT
OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE NO. 104
GJIROKASTRA
On 4.5.1986, at 16:00, from the terrace of the Greek post Kakavija, among a group of 4-5 people, a civilian, after observing with binoculars in the direction of our land, spoke in Albanian: “O you dogs of Ramiz Alia”, while from below another voice was heard: “O you spies of Enver Hoxha”. After five minutes, the person who spoke approached the pyramid by the gate, stood together with two others, and left.
Another group of 10 people (civilians, including two women), sang songs in the Greek language while facing our country. In the song lyrics, words about Northern Epirus (Vorio-Epirus) were heard. At 16:30 they left deeper inside. One of the persons who spoke Albanian is believed to be the fugitive Ilia Leka.
DEPUTY HEAD OF GENERAL DEPARTMENT
GJERGJI THANO
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED MAY 7, 1986, REPORTING THE MEETING OF THE ALBANIAN SIDE WITH THE GREEK SIDE REGARDING THE INCIDENTS WITH THE TWO ALBANIAN FUGITIVES, ILIA LEKA AND JEMIN MET HASANI
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 7.5.1986
GENERAL DEPARTMENT
OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE NO. 106
GJIROKASTRA
On 6.5.1986, at 8:00, a meeting took place on the border line, pyramid 29 in Kakavija, with the Greek side. The meeting was requested by our side. At 11:45 on this date, a meeting took place on the border line, where the Greek side said that we agree that the meeting will take place at 14:00 on 6.5.1986.
From 14:00 to 15:00, the meeting with the Greek side took place according to our side’s request at the Kakavija customs. Our side raised the issue that on 4.5.1986, around 16:00, from the terrace of the Greek post, two persons spoke in Albanian, addressing our people with insulting words, while a group of 10 persons in an organized manner sang songs with chauvinist content.
Subsequently, it was stated that the Greek post is a state institution and has all the possibilities to avoid such cases, because these do not help the development of the already good relations between our two countries. The Greek side replied that; “at least we have shown that we do not want such things. Regarding what you told us, we have no objection.
We will report it higher up. When they spoke Albanian, we were not there to remove them. We have orders that they should never speak Albanian, to prevent such things from happening. We will not allow them to speak Albanian another time. Perhaps they were drunk because there was a holiday. These are not good things that happen and then we sit down at the table.
We are very upset about this problem. Whenever you have such cases, tell us so we can take measures. These things do not help our good relations.”
Our side said: “these things do not harm our relations”.
HEAD OF THE GENERAL DEPARTMENT
BAUDIN KAZANI
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS DATED MARCH 2, 1987, REPORTING THE INCIDENTS WITH THREE ALBANIAN FUGITIVES AT THE KAKAVIJA POST, WHERE ILIA LEKA INSULTED THE ALBANIAN SOLDIERS
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 2.3.1987
GENERAL DEPARTMENT
OPERATIVE COMMUNIQUE NO. 51
GJIROKASTRA
On 1.3.1987, three civilians came to the Greek border post Kakavija, one of whom was the fugitive Ilia Leka. They left at 12:30. During this time, Ilia Leka spoke in Albanian to the guard of our post-block; “O you pup” and cursed his mother and said: “True democracy is 100 meters away”. Our soldier did not respond. / Memorie.al
HEAD OF THE GENERAL DEPARTMENT
BAUDIN KAZANI
