Kosovo Leaders Mourn Massacre Victims, Call for Justice

Leading politicians and relatives of the victims marked the anniversaries of the killings of civilians in the villages of Krushe e Madhe/Velika Krusa, Krushe e Vogel/Mala Krusa and Suhareke/Suva Reka on Friday.

After paying homage at the grave site at Krusha e Madhe/Velika Krusa, Kosovo's Acting President, Glauk Konjufca, said that there were still three open wounds in the village where Yugoslav forces killed 241 ethnic Albanian civilians 22 years ago.

"The first wound is the massacre that happened, the second is that there are still unfilled graves [of people still missing], and this reminds us that Serbia kidnapped our loved ones and never returned them, and the third wound is the justice that is missing. There was no justice for family members who lost their loved ones," Konjufca said.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti who visited grave sites at both Krusha e Madhe/Velika Krusa and Krusha e Vogel/Mala Krusa, said that the issue of missing persons will be addressed during the upcoming EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia aimed at normalising relations.

"In our relationship with Serbia, we have the issue of missing persons as a priority because we cannot have a future with peace, justice and progress if we do not address crimes committed against our people, and we all remember that because we experienced them," Kurti said.

Vjosa Osmani, a candidate for the next president of Kosovo, described the massacre in Krusha e Madhe/Velika Krusa as an "ongoing genocide" and criticised Serbia for not revealing the locations of mass graves where ethnic Albanian war victims' bodies were hidden.

"By not allowing the opening up of mass graves, by denying the crimes and the genocide, by not apologising and by putting the perpetrators before...