KUMANOVO – THE TRUTH THAT STILL SEEKS LIGHT Editorial by Flamur Buçpapaj

KUMANOVO – THE TRUTH THAT STILL SEEKS LIGHT
Editorial by Flamur Buçpapaj
The founding of the “National Strike” Party also emerged as a response to the political silence of Albanians on major national issues, including the tragedy of Kumanovo. For years, Albanians have witnessed how many serious events have remained without full investigation, without transparency, and without sufficient institutional and national support. This lack of reaction and prolonged silence has created a strong sense of distrust among part of public opinion, which views Kumanovo not merely as an isolated incident, but as a symbol of the lack of political and institutional accountability toward issues affecting Albanians in the region. For this very reason, this political approach declares that it will not remain silent in the face of any injustice affecting Albanians, considering truth and justice as the foundation of any possible reconciliation and as a condition for long-term stability.
The need for the full clarification of the Kumanovo events remains a repeated demand in Albanian public opinion, one that has not faded over the years. The call for an international investigation, full transparency of files, publication of evidence, and respect for human rights for every convicted person is not merely political or emotional, but directly connected to the basic standards of justice in a democratic state. There can be no lasting reconciliation without truth, nor credible justice without full transparency, because every gap in information turns into doubt, and every unaddressed doubt turns into long-term social mistrust.
In this context, the idea of a political voice demanding answers without fear appears as a response to the sense of institutional vacuum and the lack of a unified state stance on such issues. According to this approach, Albanian institutions should closely cooperate with international allies, the United States of America and the European Union, to guarantee democratic standards, impartial investigation, and full protection of human rights. Silence in the face of such issues is seen as a factor that has deepened mistrust and left open wounds in the collective conscience, making the process of social and political reconciliation in the region even more difficult.
Kumanovo, from this perspective, is not merely an event from 2015, but a symbol of a deeper crisis of trust. It represents a serious confrontation that left behind victims, severe sentences, and above all a series of unresolved questions that continue to reappear in public discourse. For many Albanians, what is missing is not only the court decision as a formal legal act, but full transparency regarding how the entire case was constructed—from the stage of the police operation to the trial process and the management of evidence.
The events in the “Lagja e Trimave” neighborhood were immediately interpreted by the authorities as an operation against an armed and dangerous group, but later the way the judicial process was conducted created a large gap between the official version and the perception of a significant part of Albanian public opinion. The severe sentences and the lack of full transparency regarding evidence, expertise, and investigative materials fueled doubts that were not erased over time; instead, they deepened in public, media, and political debates.
A large number of individuals were involved and sentenced to long prison terms or life imprisonment in this process, including Muhamet Krasniqi, Sami Ukshini, Dem Shehu, Fehmi Demiri, Xhemail Rexhepi, Agim Krasniqi, Bashkim Sulejmani, Haki Morina, Valdet Qyqalla, Jeton Kelmendi, Sabit Geci, Sulejman Osmani, Bedri Jakupi, and Naser Haxhaj. For their families and for part of Albanian public opinion, the issue remains not only legal in its technical sense but also a matter of trust in institutions and standards of justice, because the perception of justice is as important as justice itself when implemented.
At the heart of the debate lies the question of evidence: on what basis were the convictions built, was there independent international expertise, were all investigative materials made public, and was the process conducted with full standards of impartiality and transparency? The lack of clear and documented answers to these questions has kept the debate alive, passing from year to year as an unresolved issue in the public conscience.
One of the most sensitive points of this story remains the deaths of Beg Rizaj and Mirsad Ndrecaj. The exact circumstances of their deaths continue to be the subject of debates, interpretations, and different suspicions, often influenced by the lack of full institutional transparency. The absence of a complete, independent report accepted broadly by all sides has left space for differing interpretations and has kept one of the most sensitive parts of the entire event open.
Kumanovo took place during a tense political period in North Macedonia, which significantly influenced how it was later interpreted and debated. For some, it remains a large-scale police operation, while for others it is a complex event that cannot be separated from the broader political and ethnic context of the time. This context has added further layers to public perception and has made the event difficult to interpret uniformly.
In this story, the role of Albanian institutions in Tirana and Pristina has also been viewed by part of public opinion as limited, especially regarding demands for international transparency, independent monitoring of the process, and stronger diplomatic engagement. This lack of a unified and strong response has been interpreted as a political vacuum that contributed to the sense that the issue was left without sufficient institutional protection.
Overall, Kumanovo has become a symbol of institutional mistrust and of the lack of full transparency in sensitive cases. It remains an event that has not been closed in the Albanian public conscience, not because of a lack of judicial decisions, but because of a lack of full conviction and sufficient transparency surrounding them.
Until there is full disclosure of information, an independent international investigation, and more transparent institutional communication, Kumanovo will continue to remain an open wound in the Albanian collective memory. And only through full truth, whatever it may be, can a lasting calming of this story be built—one that still seeks light and continues to remain one of the most sensitive topics of public debate in the region.