Residents of Krusha live with the burden of missing people

26 years after the Krusha Massacre, residents of this village in Rahovec still feel the pain of the 243 people killed on March 25, 26 and 27, 1999. As he recalls the event, witness Muharrem Hoti tells how after the massacre he buried the victims he found with his own hands. He says his greatest regret is for the missing, while he notes that even 26 years later, no witness has been given their testimony. And their number is said to be shrinking day by day.

Safet Krasniqi from Krusha e Madhe says he still smells the fresh blood of the 243 Albanian civilians killed during the massacre carried out in this village by Serbian forces 26 years ago.

In the events of March 25, 26 and 27, 1999, 16 members of his family were killed, 11 of whom have not been found to this day. 

Although he lost his uncle, other family members, and friends, he says that he feels the greatest pain for the mothers whose sons were killed and whose bodies were never found.

"At 24 and 25, those people were alive, all of them. And then at 25, 26 and 27, they were killed because they didn't have any disease. They were killed with bullets, grenades, snipers, they were even killed at close range when they were captured. I feel sorry for those mothers who don't have those sons, who don't have family members, and some who are nowhere to be found," says Krasniqi.

Witness Muharrem Hoti says that after the massacre, he buried with his own hands every victim he found, including his brother, his uncle's sons, and even his friends. He says that he feels the pain for everything he experienced with the same intensity as he did then.

"It's been 26 years, but we still have the same emotions, the same pain for the 242 people who were killed here in Krushë e Madhe. In Krushë e Madhe, there are many people who experienced and saw the event, but unfortunately some of our witnesses have died, but 200-300 are still alive," said Hoti.

He says that for all the residents of Krusha, the biggest threat remains the 64 missing persons, for whom he says a piece of land has been allocated for burial.

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"The biggest problem for the residents of Krusha e Madhe is the missing, that is, the disappeared. The biggest problem is theirs, their mothers who don't know where their children's graves are, and the biggest problem is with them," says Hoti. 

Village residents express their concern that even 26 years after the massacre, no witness has been taken to give a statement about the event, while emphasizing that the number of those who can tell what happened in Krusha is shrinking day by day.

No one has been convicted for the crimes in Kruše. This massacre was part of the war crimes indictment against Slobodan Milošević and several other Serbian political and military leaders.