The former head of the OSCE monitoring mission in Kosovo, Ambassador William Walker, who raised international awareness about the Recak Massacre, said that it was not difficult for him to declare what he saw on the morning of January 15, 1999, when 45 civilians were killed by Serbian forces.
Walker has stated that he told the world what he saw and who he thought was responsible for the massacre.
"I asked where Recak was and what happened there. It was decided by chance that he would come and I saw what I saw and in the afternoon I told what I saw, what I interpreted and who was responsible for it. It was not difficult to declare what I saw in the morning, that 45 innocent civilians were taken from the village, men and young boys, under the threat of weapons of the Serbian army and killed. It was clear what happened there and that was the truth for everyone who was with me there in the morning. I told the world that afternoon what I saw and who I think was responsible," he said on Wednesday at the memorial academy.
Walker has saying that 25 years later a book was published describing that day.
"I came before a crowd similar to today and before the villages of Recak. I didn't know what to say and I wasn't able to say what I wanted to say about the grief that prevailed in that village. After 25 years I told them that I would write a book about this and the title would be 'Recak'. I really apologize that this book has come out, only 25 years later. But, I am pleased that this book has finally been made possible, I am pleased that the prime minister and the president have told me that this will be an asset to the youth of this country, the population of this country. It is very important for them to hear my description of why I participated in that event 25 years ago", said Walker./EO
Osmani: Vučić as propaganda minister justified the massacres, but as president of Serbia he is denying them
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that the mentality of the 90s is still continuing in Serbia, a mentality that caused over 100 civilian casualties in the Balkans.
Osmani spoke during the memorial academy for the 26th anniversary of the Recak massacre.
"At the time when people in Recak were being massacred, in Serbia the propaganda to justify such massacres was carried out by the Minister of Information, by the name of Aleksandar Vučić. Today, the same one, under the guise of the President of Serbia, continues to deny the Recak massacre. He denies what the world saw with his own eyes, he calls Milošević a great man with good intentions. As the propagandist that he is, on the one hand he talks about peace and on the other hand he sends his paramilitary terrorist forces to attack Kosovo. But, just like in the '90s, today Kosovo has sons and daughters who serve their homeland and protect every inch of it," said Osmani.
Osmani said that Recak is evidence of the long suffering of our people, who sought and fought for freedom and the right to exist.
"The scenes of the massacre shocked the world and touched the international conscience, all thanks to our great friend Ambassador William Walker, who with courage and dedication gave voice to the undeniable truth of the suffering of our people. He testified before the world what he saw with his own eyes, the unimaginable atrocities that the genocidal regime of Serbia committed against the defenseless Albanian population here in Recak and everywhere in Kosovo... The words spoken with determination by Ambassador Walker shocked international public opinion and were a call for immediate action, paving the way for NATO intervention that, together with the liberation war of the sons and daughters of Kosovo, of our liberation Army, makes Kosovo finally free", said Osmani.
Kurti from Reçak: The war for liberation is over, but not the battle for justice
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, on Wednesday, at the Recak Massacre Memorial Academy, sent a message to Serbia that the war for liberation is over, but not the battle for justice.
In his speech, Kurti said that the criminals who committed the Recak massacre continue to remain unpunished. As the chief executive said, they must be punished, even in absentia.
"Open graves in the ground, open wounds in the soul, closed archives in Belgrade. The crimes committed during the war were not meant to happen, they were not supposed to happen. What should happen as a result is justice, the trial and punishment of criminals, even in absentia. In 1998/99 it was said that the battle ended, but not the war. In relation to Serbia, now the opposite should be said, the war has ended, but not the battle. The war for liberation has ended, but not the battle for justice," Kurti said.
The Mayor of Shtime, Qemajl Aliu, said that Recak is not only a tragedy, but also a testimony to history.
"It is a day that has sealed the fate of our people. The small village became a witness to the deepest pain and sacrifice. It was the voice and courage of Ambassador William Walker who fearlessly and unequivocally called this massacre a crime against humanity, preceding the international intervention that, together with the KLA war, ended the violence and brought freedom. Reçak is not just a tragedy, it is our testimony before history," said Aliu.