Hakif Zejnullahu (22 June 1962 – 31 January 1997) was one of the founders and early commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who died in the Pestovë Ambush, together with Zahir Pajaziti and Edmond Hoxha. He is regarded as a prominent leader and one of the most influentional figures of the KLA.[1][2]
Hakif Zejnullahu | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Zejnullahu in Lladoc | |
| Born | 22 June 1962 Lladoc, Podujevë, SFR Yugoslavia (today Kosovo) |
| Died | 31 January 1997 (aged 34) Pestovë, Vushtrri, FR Yugoslavia (today Kosovo) |
| Allegiance |  Kosovo Liberation Army |
| Years of service | 1995–1997 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles / wars | Insurgency in Kosovo (1995–98) |
| Awards | Hero of Kosovo (posthumously) |
Early life
editHakif Zejnullahu was born on June 22, 1962, in the village of Lladoc, in the municipality of Podujevë. He received his primary education in his village and later attended high school in Podujevë. From a young age, he was influenced by the stories of resistance from his family and community, especially those involving Kosovo's struggle against the Serbian regime after WW2,[3][4][5][6] particularly the mass displacement of Albanians to Turkey.[7] His village, located near the Serbian border, frequently experienced violent encounters with Serbian paramilitary forces, which shaped Hakif's early worldview.
Growing up during the time of political unrest and the push for Kosovo's liberation, Zejnullahu's formative years were marked by his involvement in political activism. By the age of 19, he was actively participating in the protests and movements that defined the political landscape of the late early 1980s. His education in national ideals was closely tied to the legacy of resistance in his community and he quickly became aligned with prominent figures in the liberation movement, including his cousin Zahir Pajaziti.[1]
Involvement in the Kosovo Liberation Army
editFounding the KLA and first actions
editBy the early 1990s, as Kosovo's oppression by the Serbian government intensified,[8][9][10][11] Hakif became one of the early supporters and organizers of armed resistance. In 1989, he was closely associated with the formation of the "Çeta e Llapit," an armed group that sought to resist Serbian oppression through guerrilla tactics. This group laid the foundation for what would later become the Kosovo Liberation Army.[12]
In 1992, Hakif attempted to travel to Albania to receive military training, but unknown circumstances delayed his involvement in direct combat.[13] However he remained active in supporting and organizing resistance efforts. In 1995, when the KLA was formally established, Hakif, alongside Zahir Pajaziti, was instrumental in coordinating the group's early activities. His home in Lladoc became the first base of the KLA,[14] where strategic operations were planned and heavy weapons were stored.
Insurgency in Kosovo
editAs a member of the KLA, Zejnullahu was known for his organizational skills. He handpicked young men from Llap and Prishtina to join the fight for Kosovo's freedom. Throughout the mid-1990s, he was heavily involved in planning and executing military operations against Serbian forces, and he financed much of the KLA's activities through his own resources.[1]
Hakif was also known for his deep bond with his cousin Zahir Pajaziti, with whom he organized many protests and demonstrations. Together, they strategized numerous successful KLA operations. Hakif's logistical support was vital to the early actions of the KLA, including the smuggling of arms from Albania and the safe transport of KLA fighters.[15]
Death
editOn January 31, 1997, Hakif Zejnullahu was killed in an ambush by Serbian police forces in the village of Pestovë, Vushtrri, alongside Zahir Pajaziti and Edmond Hoxha.[16][17] The three were returning from a mission when their vehicle, a green Lada, was attacked. Despite the immediate discovery of their bodies, the car in which they were ambushed was not found until after the end of the war.[18] Zejnullahu was buried on the next day in his home village of Lladoc.
Legacy
editIn recognition of his sacrifice, the President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga posthumously awarded him and his fellow fighter Edmond Hoxha with the "Hero of Kosovo" decoration in 2013, the highest honor bestowed by the state. In 2023, on the 26th anniversary of the deaths, they were rembered by the current President of Kosovo and Prime Minister of Kosovo.[19]
Zejnullahu's name is honored in several ways across Kosovo. The Kosovo Security Force garrison near Lupç, a sports hall in Podujevë,[20] and several streets in cities like Prishtina and Vushtrri are named after him.[21]
Additionally, a monument has been erected at the site of his death in Pestovë to honor him, Zahir Pajaziti and Edmond Hoxha. His childhood home in Lladoc has been turned into a memorial complex and the car, in which they were killed, displayed in the courtyard of his house, has become a symbol and a tribute of his life and sacrifice.[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Hakif Sabit Zejnullahu (22.6.1962 – 31.1.1997)". radiokosovaelire (in Albanian). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Zahir Pajaziti and his fellow fighters are remembered as an inspiration for the KLA". Kohavision. 31 January 2023.
- ^ Perica, Vjekoslav (2002). Balkan idols: Religion and nationalism in Yugoslav states. Oxford University Press. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-0-19-517429-8.
- ^ Clark, Howard (2000). Civil resistance in Kosovo. Pluto Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780745315690.
- ^ Mulaj, Klejda (2008). Politics of ethnic cleansing: nation-state building and provision of in/security in twentieth-century Balkans. Lexington Books. p. 45. ISBN 9780739146675.
- ^ Petersen, Roger D. (2011). Western intervention in the Balkans: The strategic use of emotion in conflict. Cambridge University Press. p. 142. ISBN 9781139503303.
- ^ Qirezi, Arben (2017). "Settling the self-determination dispute in Kosovo". In Mehmeti, Leandrit I.; Radeljić, Branislav (eds.). Kosovo and Serbia: Contested Options and Shared Consequences. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 50. ISBN 9780822981572.
- ^ Milosavljević, Olivera (2002). "Ogledi broj 1: U tradiciji nacionalizma ili stereotipi srpskih intelektualaca XX veka o "nama" i "drugima"" [Experiment Number One: In the Tradition of Nationalism or Stereotypes of Serbian Intellectuals of the 20th century about "Us" and "Others"] (PDF) (in Serbo-Croatian). Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia. pp. 218–219.
- ^ By Nebojša Popov, Drinka Gojković, The road to war in Serbia: trauma and catharsis, pp. 222
- ^ International Centre Against Censorship. "Forging War: The Media in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina". International Centre Against Censorship, Article 19. Avon, United Kingdom: Bath Press, May 1994. P55
- ^ Rogel, Carole (2003). "Kosovo: Where It All Began". International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society. 17 (1): 167–182. doi:10.1023/A:1025397128633. S2CID 141051220. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ Perritt, Henry H. (2010-10-01). Kosovo Liberation Army: The Inside Story of an Insurgency. University of Illinois Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-252-09213-8.
- ^ Pettifer, James (2012). The Kosova Liberation Army: Underground War to Balkan Insurgency, 1948–2001. Hurst. p. 69. ISBN 9781849041874.
- ^ "Kompleksi Memorial "Baza e parë e UÇK-së" në shtëpinë e heroit Hakif Zejnullahu". mesazhzi (in Albanian). 31 January 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "27 vjet nga rënia heroike e Zahir Pajaziti, Hakif Zejnullahu dhe Edmond Hoxhës". telegrafi (in Albanian). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Pettifer, James (2005). Kosova Express: A Journey in Wartime. C. Hurst & Co. p. 51. ISBN 9781850657491.
- ^ Kuperman, Alan J (2002). Tragic Challenges and the Moral Hazard of Humanitarian Intervention: How and why Ethnic Groups Provoke Genocidal Retaliation (PhD). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. pp. 317–318. hdl:1721.1/36342.
- ^ a b "Bullet-holed Lada Remains Symbol of Kosovo Resistance". prishtina insight. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Predsednica: 26 godina od kada su glasnici slobode Zahir Pajaziti, Hakif Zejnullahu i Edmond Hoxha otišli u večnost". PREDSEDNICA REPUBLIKE KOSOVO (in Serbian). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Realizohet zotimi i Bulliqit, renovohet palestra e sporteve "Hakif Zejnullahu"". indeksonline (in Albanian). 26 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Rruga Prishtinë-Mitrovicë me emrin Zahir Pajaziti, Hakif Zejnullahu e Edmond Hoxha". ekonomia.info (in Albanian). Retrieved 15 September 2024.