After 27 years, Salih Mëziu’s remains identified: Brother Habib speaks about the pain and unhealed wound of waiting

The Mëziu family from Marina, Skenderaj, has received official confirmation of the identification of the mortal remains of Salih Mëziu, who had been missing during the armed conflict in Kosovo, after more than 27 years of agony and uncertainty.

This announcement, though painful, brought an end to decades of waiting to learn the truth about his fate. Habib Mëziu, the deceased’s brother, shared with Radio Dukagjini the conflicting feelings running through the family at this moment, stressing that relief is accompanied by another heavy burden.

Although Salihu has finally been found, Habib recalled that nine other members of their family are still missing, disappeared during the same wartime period. He described the emotional state as a painful journey into the past. “The feelings are mixed. We have waited 27 years and now the emotions take us back to those years. We are relatively relieved that Salih Mëziu has finally been found, but we also carry the other sorrow, because we are waiting for the identification of nine other family members,” he said during the interview.

The greatest suffering, according to him, is centered on the five children Salihu left behind. One of them was born after his father’s disappearance, growing up without ever meeting him, while the others were still small when the violent separation occurred. Habib recounted the strong bond the eldest son had with his father, making the loss even more tragic for a child at a tender age. “One of the children was born after Salihu’s disappearance and does not know his father at all. The eldest son was very attached to him, and you can imagine what a child feels when he is violently separated from his father at the age when he needs him most,” he added.

Habib Mëziu compared this experience to an open wound that takes time to close, underlining that the return of memories has plunged everyone into the pain of that time. He called on the families of missing persons to preserve calm and strength, as they continue to live under the anxiety of endless waiting.

At the end of his account, he stressed the importance of collective memory and passing on the historical truth to future generations. “War spares no one. It brings wounds and those wounds remain open for families who wait in anguish for their loved ones. We will continue to tell the younger generations about the war, about the importance of freedom and about Serbia’s crimes, so that they are not forgotten,” declared Mëziu. The Mëziu family thus continues the painful wait for the nine other members who unfortunately still remain missing.