1945 / The Tivar Massacre, the survivors in Albania were handed over to the Yugoslavs
Memorie.al / Two reports by the Head of the People’s Defense Section, Zoi Themeli, bring testimony about what happened to the Albanian conscripts while they were in the territory of the Albanian state. The communist authorities of the time, in the role of spectators on the one hand and helpers to the Yugoslav aggressors on the other, did nothing to ensure the lives of these conscripts, but instead sought to hand them over. What immediately stands out in Zoi Themeli’s reports are the serious errors at the top of the documents, where “Ministry of People’s Defense” was written instead of the “Directorate of People’s Defense.”
The correct name at the time was the Ministry of National Defense. In the relevant information, after explaining the events that occurred, the center, the Directorate of People’s Defense, is asked to clarify whether or not the already arrested Kosovars should be handed over to the Yugoslavs. Supplementing the incomplete information, Zoi Themeli himself, in the statement given during the trial against Koçi Xoxe, admitted that all the Kosovar “deserters” were handed over to the Yugoslavs. Below are three reports.
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Ministry of People’s Defense
People’s Defense Section
Province III
Shkodër, April 3, 1945
To the Directorate of People’s Defense, Tirana
On April 2, in the hours of midnight, specifically around 1:10 (time unclear in the writing – editor’s note), while the Yugoslav partisans were transporting a number of 1,500 Kosovars to the other side of the Buna River, to take them to Montenegro, even though they had been ordered to lie on the ground without moving, a Kosovar withdrew to the bank of the Buna and then jumped into the water and began to swim with the intention of escaping.
Immediately, the guards detected him and fired rifles and threw bombs at him. The Kosovar who jumped into the river was not seen again.
Following this, the Yugoslav guards, enraged by this event, withdrew and, without reason, began to fire into the crowd of Kosovars, who were sitting and remaining motionless. In this attack, 7 people were killed (among them one Yugoslav) and 13 others were wounded (among them, one Yugoslav was hit from behind).
In total, these amounts to 18 killed and wounded Kosovars and 2 Yugoslavs. All of them, both the Kosovars and the Yugoslavs, were killed by the Yugoslav partisans.
Such an act demonstrates the hatred that these two sides harbor between them and, even worse, the mistreatment that the Yugoslavs inflicted on the Kosovars.
We add that the cause of this event is the Yugoslavs themselves, who unjustly fired upon the crowd of Kosovars.
The Head of the People’s Defense of Province III
Zoi Themeli
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Ministry of People’s Defense
People’s Defense Section
Province III
Shkodër, April 5, 1945
To the Directorate of People’s Defense
Tirana
As I informed you earlier by radiogram about the Tetovo incident, I am sending you some additional clarifications.
Yesterday, the guards of the II People’s Defense Brigade had ten (10) Kosovars at the Buna Bridge, who had fled from Tetovo and were coming here. When questioned, they answered us as follows: “Throughout the entire journey, since we left Kosovo, the Yugoslavs have tormented us and beaten us. They wouldn’t let us drink water along the way.
When we arrived in Tivar (Bar), they led us down a narrow street where they had lined us up in fours; at this time, while we were resting, we heard some rifles, bombs, and machine guns fire from all sides, shooting at us. It felt like a sudden surprise to us, and we did not know what was happening and why they were killing us.
At this time, the comrades in front of and behind us were being killed; we were confused and did not see anything else happening, but we fled wherever we could. They shot at us from the hills and houses as we were going.
500 people are killed, wounded, and scattered. Very few are scattered, while many are killed and wounded.
We also add that when we were in Kosovo, some of us who had noticed [the danger] were able to flee by giving themselves up to the partisans, and these people were released, being presented as sick.
You have also observed the behavior of these Yugoslav partisans in the local event that happened on April 2, 1945, where 18 people were killed and wounded, and as far as we have discovered, they were killed for no reason.
Therefore, all these highly important events that have occurred between the Yugoslav partisans and the Kosovar conscripts lead us to suspect that among the partisans, there must be Serbian Great-State chauvinists who are trying to divide the peoples and make them hate each other to death.
On the other hand, they give internal and external reaction a chance to observe and find something to hold onto. From what we have seen and thought, we understand it in this way.
Now, inform us about these Kosovars we have captured: should we send them to the Yugoslavs, or should we escort them ourselves all the way there.
Please notify us regarding this.
The Head of the People’s Defense of Province III
Zoi Themeli
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Zoi Themeli’s statement in the investigation process against Koçi Xoxe, April 1949
In mid-1945, the Yugoslavs, while escorting a number of mobilized Kosovars to Montenegro, were killing them en masse on the road, without them being at fault. Due to this action, some Kosovars managed to escape and surrender to our organs, begging for mercy and protection to save their lives.
Seeing these anti-human actions, we informed the Security Directorate with telegrams and letters and suggested that the survivors should not be handed over to the Yugoslavs, as they would kill them.
At the same time, we requested that the Yugoslav government be informed, as we believed that these actions were being done without their knowledge. However, Koçi Xoxe ordered us to hand over the Kosovars to the Yugoslavs. We did not take this order well. As far as we have been informed, some of the repatriated [people] found death in Yugoslavia. / Memorie.al
Zoi Themeli
