Kosovo marked the 26th anniversary of the NATO airstrikes against Yugoslav and Serbian military and police targets, an intervention aimed at halting the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians.
Musli Murseli will never forget the sound of NATO’s first bombs on the night of March 24, 1999 near the town of Ferizaj/Urosevac.
“We were very happy when the first bombs fell,” said Murseli, a 73-year-old from the village of Rakaj. Murseli attended the tribute ceremony to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Western countries, which was held in the “Dëshmorët e Kombit” square of Ferizaj. Blair and other Western leaders were responsible for bombing the former Yugoslavia under Slobodan Milosevic for 78 days in the spring of 1999.
An ethnic Albanian boy hugs a British NATO soldier as hundreds of Albanians celebrate the arrival of NATO troops in Prishtina on June 13, 1999. Photo: EPA/Anja Niedringhaus
The challenges faced by Murseli and hundreds of thousands of Albanians who were displaced from Kosovo to North Macedonia have been memorialised in the Ferizaj train station in a mural created in 2021, titled ‘The Road.”
Designed by artist Pranvera Sylejmani, along with young artists Antika Veseli, Debora Hetemi, and Gentrit Osmani, the mural depicts the painful story of the forced departure of Albanians from Kosovo.
“The image in the mural shows the painful scenes of the forced departure of Albanians from our territories. Essentially, the mural aims to unite our citizens by reminding them that, despite current differences, we all come from the same past,” Pranvera Sylejmani explained. Sylejmani dedicated the mural to her father, who suffered in Serbian prisons in 1981 and 1989 for his involvement in the liberation struggle.
From the left, artists Gentrit Osmani, Antika Veseli, Debora Hetemi, and Pranvera Sylejmani stand in front of “Rruga” mural at the train station in Ferizaj/Urosevac, in September 2021. Photo: BIRN/ Rexhep Maloku.
The photograph used for the mural was taken by the AFP News Agency at the Prishtina train station.
Albin Kurti, Kosovo’s Prime Minister, said that NATO airstrike put an end to tha last genocide of the 20th century.
“Twenty-six years later, the operation remains one of the most successful campaigns in NATO history; and the Republic of Kosova-now an Associate Member of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly-stands stronger than ever as a beacon of human rights and democracy”, he wrote while further adding that “the past, present, and future success of the Republic of Kosova and NATO will forever and inextricably be linked”, Kurti wrote on X.
The airstrikes, which followed the failure of peace talks in Rambouillet, France, came as NATO and Western countries decided to intervene against Serbian military targets.
The attack lasted for 78 days, ceasing on June 10, 1999, after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire and a framework for the international administration of Kosovo was put in place.
Serbian protesters try to take down the sign from the wall of the US embassy in Belgrade, Tuesday, 30 March 1999. Photo:/EPA/STR/as/gh/
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani commemorated this day, describing it as a turning point in the country’s history.
“24 March 1999—the day freedom prevailed and a people’s call for justice amidst their fight for existence was answered. Twenty-six years ago, NATO’s intervention, coupled with our people’s unwavering determination for freedom, marked not only a decisive turning point in our country’s history but also a milestone in the modern history of humankind,” Osmani wrote.
“Today, we thank our allies and honor the service and sacrifice of the brave NATO soldiers—the women and men who served for peace and security in our country. Kosovo rose from the ashes of a genocidal war to stand eternal, sovereign, and unbreakable,” she added.
A grateful Kosovar shows his appreciation to British NATO soldier with the peacepeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, in Ferizaj/Urosevac, June 14, 1999. PHOTO: EPA/Kevin CAPON
On June 12, 1999, following the cessation of the bombing campaign, some 50,000 troops from 36 countries began to deploy in Kosovo, with 30,000 coming from NATO nations. Their mission was to secure peace and freedom of movement for all citizens.
Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a post on X social media expressed gratitude to NATO and its allies.
“Never forget—forever grateful!” it wrote.
“On this day, 26 years ago, Kosova marks the Day of Hope—March 24, 1999—when NATO allies united and intervened with airstrikes against the genocidal Serbian regime, marking a turning point in stopping ethnic cleansing in Kosova,”the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.
A young Kosovar boy cries next to the coffin of his father at the local cemetery, some 50 km from Kosovo capital Prishtina on September 19,1999. PHOTO: EPA/ATTILA KISBENEDEK
According to Human Rights Watch and the United Nations, around 13,000 people were killed during the war in Kosovo, the majority of whom were ethnic Albanians.
Around 1,600 people remain missing. Meanwhile, it is estimated that 20,000 women were victims of rape and sexual violence during the war.
The war also displaced over 1 million Kosovo Albanians who sought refuge in neighbouring countries.