On the Albanian national flag day, Kosovo also celebrates the first public appearance of its Liberation Army.
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that fought under the Albanian national flag, held its first public statement during a funeral service for an Albanian teacher killed by Serbian police in village Llaushe.
Wearing the KLA uniform, the first to address the public were Rexhep Selimi, Daut Haradinaj and Muje Krasniqi.
Krasniqi was killed along 41 KLA fighters on December 14, 1998, by Serbian forces near the Kosovo- Albania border.
Daut Haradinaj is a parliament member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) led by his brother, Ramush Haradinaj, former Prime Minister of Kosovo and KLA commander.
While Rexhep Selimi, a former MP from Vetevendosje and the person who read the first KLA statement, is facing war crimes and crimes against humanity charges by the Hague- based Kosovo Specialist Chambers alongside ex-President, Hashim Thaci and ex-speakers of Parliament, Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi.
KLA continued fighting Serbian forces all over the country until June 1999 when Kosovo was liberated following NATO’s 78-day air campaign against Slobodan Milosevic’s regime.
In June 1999, Kosovo agreed with NATO for an undertaking of demilitarization and transformation by the KLA.
The public statement happened two days after the first frontal battle between the KLA and Serbian forces in village Rezalle e Re, under the command of Adem Jashari.
Adem Jashari was one of the founders of KLA. He was killed alongside 58 of his relatives during an attack launched on his family in Prekaz by Serbian forces from March 5-7, 1998.
Kosovo also celebrates Adem Jashari’s birthday that happened to be on November 28.
