Meçan Zotaj, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, has expressed his indignation over the statement of Snezhana Paunović, Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.
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She stated that if she had held Slobodan Milošević’s post in 1998, she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo. In an interview for “Lunch Program” on News24, Zotaj emphasized that her words have deeply wounded Albanians, as the wounds of the conflict in Kosovo are still open.
The former fighter pointed out that Albanian leaders have not taken this statement with the proper weight. Sharing memories from the war, he described his involvement in the KLA as the most glorious stage of his life.
According to him, the minister’s words immediately transported him back to the 1998-1999 period and raised concerns about the fact that such mindsets continue to be nurtured in Serbian society.
Zotaj, who continues to live in Kosovo, added that he closely follows developments and cited the Banjska attack as an example to illustrate the tensions that do not die down.
Asked whether these attitudes could reignite the conflict, Zotaj said they do not restore tension, but rather remind Albanians of the past and the obstacles on the path to reconciliation.
He further elaborated his concerns, emphasizing that no Albanian could remain indifferent to a chauvinist statement.
“The wounds of that war still bleed,” he said, adding that Serbia’s lack of remorse makes the soft stance of Albania’s officials even more frightening, as they even call the authors of the reaction “brothers.”
He clarified that the reaction came from the protest coordinating group, but the concern is general among Albanians in all regions.
He contrasted the raised voice of a European parliamentarian, including Marta Kos, with the softened approach of a prime minister in the face of a statement he considered genocidal.
Zotaj shared his personal experience as a war participant, where he was wounded, treated, and returned again to the front. He testified that he had seen up close the massacres of the people of Dardania, mentioning also the case of a Serb who was maimed after trying to pay homage in Prekaz.
According to him, the minister’s statement has taken him back to the years 98-99 and proves that such a mindset is cultivated in schools, families, and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Still living in Kosovo, Zotaj said he closely follows every attempt, including the one in Banjska, which was prepared by the Serbian army. He concluded that Serbs do not change and anyone who thinks otherwise is either sold or blind.
Such statements, he stressed, do not bring back tensions, but bring Albanians back to reality, especially those who try to cultivate peace, while Serbia is led by a figure linked to Milošević.
