By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Two
Memorie.al /Even though 44 years have passed since the event of September 26, 1982, when the so-called “Xhevdet Mustafa Band” landed somewhere on the coast of Divjaka, and over 35 years since the fall of the communist regime, during which dozens and dozens of testimonies and archival documents about that event have been made public, that event still remains shrouded in mystery, and the truth about it has still not been fully brought to light. In fact, without exaggerating at all, it can be said that the “Xhevdet Mustafa Band” is one of the greatest mysteries of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor Ramiz Alia, throughout their 45 years of rule. The biggest and most important questions surrounding it relate not only to the role of the State Security (Sigurimi) in preparing and bringing it to Albania, but also to the primary purpose or mission of the so-called “Xhevdet Mustafa Band”! Namely: “the assassination of the main leader of the Party” (always according to the official version of that time, articulated orally and also written by Enver Hoxha himself), but also to the manner in which it appeared and operated after landing on the Divjaka coast; starting from their external appearance (clothing and armament), to the physical elimination of several persons who did not in any way jeopardize their journey toward Tirana – things which, as is known, led to their exposure!
Regarding the above, there are so many question marks and mysteries that entire writings would be needed, and even then, any analysis made would not be exhaustive! It might even add more to the “fog” that has covered it since September 26, 1982, when it landed somewhere on the Divjaka coast. Based on this, as well as the great interest that has existed and continues to exist regarding the so-called “Xhevdet Mustafa Band”, following the testimonies and archival documents we have published over nearly 35 years since the fall of the communist regime, in this article we are publishing several archival documents recently extracted from the fund of AIDSSH (Authority for Information on Documents of the former State Security), which are published for the first time along with their respective facsimiles from Memorie.al.
Continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT DRAWN UP BY OPERATIVE WORKER EQEREM SALIHI, REGARDING THE ACTIONS OF THE LUSHNJA INTERNAL AFFAIRS BRANCH AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF THE PERSONS KILLED IN THE DIVJAKA AREA ON 16.X.1982 AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE “BAND”
Some data regarding the band led by Xhevdet Mustafa
- Around 21:30, the Operational Officer of the Lushnja Internal Affairs Branch was notified (as far as I remember) by the brother of S. Zh., from Divjaka, who was seeking clarification: Why hasn’t my brother returned yet? We have become worried, because they were seen going to Dajlan by boat, and they still haven’t returned – my brother, S…, R…, B…, E…, A…, and S… B…!
- Around this time, the operational officer of the military unit branch in Divjaka received notification that the boat (used for the beach) was found out of place with its locks in place, and that the persons have not been seen returning. They had removed the motor and placed it inside the boat, or had taken it into the unit.
- In a single line, the military unit notifies the Operative of the Ministry of People’s Defense about this event, who then asks the Lushnja Internal Branch for clarification. They reply that: Our paratroopers were training in Divjaka and they must be there.
- The Lushnja operative notifies the Police Chief Fane Xhuveli and the former branch head Kapllan Shehu. Around 23:00, Fane Xhuveli comes to the Branch, takes two Operative Workers, Pëllumb Sinoimeri and Edmond Rada, and they go to Divjaka to search for the “missing” persons.
- Around 02:30 on 26.9.1982, the former Police Chief calls from Divjaka, both to the former branch head, Kapllan Shehu, and to the Operative, telling them that:
The event is serious, the boat has been found in an unusual place, we still haven’t found the comrades, I think the Ministry should be notified. In the boat, a towel with an American inscription was found. It is thought that they may have “drowned”, and no conclusion is reached that they could be a band.
- Around 6-7 in the morning of the same date (26.9.1982), the first “drowned” person, the former Deputy Police Chief R… B…, was reportedly found, and from the searches, two others, E… A… and S… Z…!
Around 7 to 8 in the morning, the former branch head Kapllan Shehu was notified of the event (perhaps even earlier); he comes to the Branch, notifies the secretary of the Bureau of the Çerma cooperative: “Go out on the road, I will give you the plenum materials to work on, because I am going to Divjaka as I have an event.”
- After becoming acquainted with the event in Divjaka, from there (says Kapllan Shehu), I contacted the minister and informed him, and also asked for help, including investigators, experts, etc.
- After arriving at the Branch, the Branch was put on alert, and they were informed of the event and the measures to be taken. It was said that Sokrat Biti is not to be found; the band may have kidnapped him.
- Around 13:00, Xhevdet Mustafa was surrounded in the house where he was killed in the village of Çerma. While Sabaudin Haznedari had been killed earlier in Rrogozhinë, and the other one was captured. While lying in ambush, we heard these words, though not substantiated:
– The one who was captured said: “Don’t do anything to me, because I am a friend of Kadri Hazbiu.” It was spoken as if Kadri Hazbiu hit him with his palm.
– It is said that bulletproof vests were also requested.
– When Kapllan Shehu called on him to surrender, Xhevdet said: “I will not surrender, I have plenty of ammunition, and I need four hours; then you will learn what will happen! 250 or 270 people (not known exactly), he said, have set off for Tirana.” Calls for surrender were also made by others.
After Xhevdet’s liquidation, even the enemy Kadri Hazbiu approached to see. He appeared very worried.
These things were learned from the analysis made of the problem and participation in it.
Operative Worker
Eqerem Salihi
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT DRAWN UP BY THE HEAD OF THE LUSHNJA INTERNAL AFFAIRS BRANCH, REGARDING THE PERSONS FROM DIVJAKA “IMPLICATED” WITH THE “XHEVDET MUSTAFA BAND”, AND THE ROLE OF KADRI HAZBIU DURING THE SIEGE OF XHEVDET MUSTAFA IN ZHAMA
SECRET
Lushnja, 23.2.1983
I N F O R M A T I O N
REGARDING THE CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN CONNECTIONS
From the verification carried out on the below-mentioned persons, it results that:
- Mihal Biti, from the village of Divjaka, Lushnja district, working at the Land Reclamation Enterprise. His past conduct: good. He has a son, Sokrat Biti, former policeman in this Branch and currently sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment for abuse of duty and as a guide of the Xhevdet Mustafa band. Currently he holds an indifferent stance and has expressed that:
“Thank God that my son Sokrat didn’t get tangled up with the government; they treat him well even in prison.” Mihal has been a hunter and has gone hunting several times, mainly with the enemies Beqir Balluku, Kadri Hazbiu, and Feçor Shehu, with whom he had good relations.
Regarding his son Sokrat Biti’s police uniform, it is said that Rexhep Kolli and Feçor Shehu mediated.
- Ismail Ibishi, of Kosovar origin, arrived in 1947 in the Lushnja district, now deceased. Ismail during the National Liberation War participated in the traitorous organization “Balli Kombëtar”. It is said that “Balli Kombëtar” ordered him to burn the village of Karaman Ylli, but he did not carry out that action.
At the time when the village of Babunja became an agricultural cooperative, he was appointed chairman of the cooperative, where he remained until 1959, at which time he left the village and came to live in the city of Lushnja.
In 1949, he was expelled…, but his file has no entry regarding the time of expulsion and the activity carried out. The file must have been destroyed.
Ismail was a hunter and socialized a lot with the enemy Kadri Hazbiu. No material is available regarding the members of his family.
- Ismail Tërnova, of Kosovar origin and residing in the city of Lushnja, is head accountant at the train station; he was an A.P. (political aspirant?) and was expelled for gossip. No material is available regarding him.
- Mustafa (Muç) Kacabuni, from the village of Kryekuq, Lushnja district, died there around 1978; he was influential and the steward (qehaja) of Veis and Arif Bej. During the National Liberation War, he joined the “Balli” leaders Isa Manastiri and Him Konoshi; in 1943 he was incorporated into “Balli”, appointed platoon commander with the rank of captain (kapter).
After the liberation of the country, his house was frequented by the enemies Mehmet Shehu, Beqir Balluku, and Kadri Hazbiu, and was treated as a family with good conduct. No reaction has emerged regarding his family members.
The enemy Kadri Hazbiu on 26.9.1982 was at the place where the bandit Xhevdet Mustafa was surrounded and stayed on a hill at the surrounded house; it is said that he gave an order to give a pistol to the woman of the surrounded house to kill Xhevdet, but the woman refused. He called Kapllan Shehu, the former head of the Internal Affairs Branch, several times, but what orders he gave him is not known.
On one occasion, when Kapllan returns from the meeting with Kadri Hazbiu, he calls out to Xhevdet Mustafa by name to surrender, but Xhevdet replied: “May you get cold! Because I am Xhevdet…”?! It is said, but the exact source is not known, that when Kadri Hazbiu went to Rrogozhinë, he met one of the band members and told him:
“Why didn’t you come to the designated place”? – and on that occasion, he allegedly struck him once. In the Divjaka area, the enemies Kadri Hazbiu and Feçor Shehu went repeatedly under the pretext of hunting and did not accept taking security measures based on the rules for the protection of the leadership!
HEAD OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS BRANCH
REFAT SADE
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT DRAWN UP BY STATE SECURITY OPERATIVE WORKER REFAT MEDIU, WITH DATA GATHERED BY THE KUKËS INTERNAL BRANCH, REGARDING WHAT WAS BEING SAID AMONG THE PEOPLE ABOUT THE “XHEVDET MUSTAFA BAND”
Kukës 29.1. – 5.2.1983
Given to B.p. “Blini”
Received by P. Op. R. Mediu
Report dated 6.1.1983
He reports that on 23.12.1982, around 12:00, he met with Islam Jaho Dobrushi from the village of Shemri, at his home. During the conversation regarding the betrayal of Mehmet Shehu, Islam said that; Zog’s son had come to Kosovo and had spoken there, saying that “those who were sent to Albania (Xhevdet Mustafa’s group) were my men.”
Then Islam said: “If Zog’s son sends the fugitives here again, it will become a disaster, they will ruin us, because these (the communists) do not give up easily.” “Xhevdet Mustafa – Islam continued – said: ‘May Kadri Hazbiu choke on us, because he called us before the time’!”
Their purpose – said Islam – was to enter Tirana and kill the main leader of the Party (naming him). He (the operative) said to him: “No, man, because Kadri did not notify them to come as saboteurs.” Islam replied: “Yes, yes, he (Kadri) notified them, because he knew the day they would catch him”!
At that time, other people from the house entered the room, and the conversation did not continue.
“Blini”
Clarification:
Islam Dobrushi is under active processing 2/A, as he is…..! He is of advanced age, and one of his sons, Muharrem Dobrushi, has fled abroad.
Assessment:
The information has value, because the subject makes comments regarding the sending of the Xhevdet Mustafa band to our country, but B.p. did not find out from where the subject knows these things, who told him, being afraid to ask about this, lest the subject realize his interest? For this, B.p. was criticized in the meeting.
Task:
You will talk again with Islam about the book “Titoists”, telling him: “I have not found that book, but I have heard about it from radio broadcasts, and it seemed very interesting because it badly unmasked the Yugoslavs. In that book, it also spoke about the Xhevdet Mustafa band, but did not go into much detail.”
Also, you will find out how Islam knew that Zog’s son (Leka) had come to Kosovo, as well as the other words about the Xhevdet Mustafa band.
Operative measures:
Since, from the friendly connections of the subject, a candidate for controlling contingents has been studied and will be recruited for secret cooperation, it will be aimed that this candidate, immediately after his recruitment, will be inserted in terms of behavior into the subject under processing.
The information is to be typed in four copies: one for the subject Islam Dobrushi, one for the Third Directorate regarding Leka Zog, one for the operative group in the Ministry, and one will be kept in the Branch, for Counter-Intelligence direction.
OPERATIVE WORKER
Rafet Mediu
Comrade Ylli
Let the comrades of Kukës be made aware of the task set by comrade Minister, and let us follow its implementation to the end. / Memorie.al
Enver Zeneli
