Life of Serbs in Albania

From Pravoslavlje, the official newspaper of the Serbian Patriarchate. Article in Serbian.

• How many Serbs live in Albania today and how do you assess their rights?

The question of the number of Serbs living in Albania is a very delicate one which can even be considered a taboo for local politicians.  Since a census, in which the minority would have the opportunity to declare their nationality, has never been conducted in the history of Albania, there are no accurate numbers. The lack of official statistics regarding the number of our minority prevents our taking well overdue action on the treatment of the minority in Albania. Our alliance estimates that there are between 25-35,000 Serbs living in Alabania.

Our alliance has succeeded in recognizing the Serbian minority of Albania. However, the treatment and the level of respect of our rights which belongs to other minorities, Macedonian and Greek, is much different….The discrimination is likewise reflected in the political life of the country….we have no presence in Parliament, while participation on a local level is frequently stipulated with the concealing of national identity.

• What sort of mark have the Serbs left in Albanian history?

In contemporary Albanian history, our minority has left a significant mark in the national-liberation war of Albanian against the Italian-German fascist occupiers. Many of them turned their homes into Partisan bases […while many took part in the fighting as military leaders].  Albania especially respects the acts of three heroes: Perlat Redzepija, Branko Kandic and Jordan Misje. Kadic and Misje were Serbs. Songs are song about them to this day and they have been proclaimed national heroes. We’ll also mention the example of Vasil Santic, one of the main organizers of the Communist Party of Albania, who was killed fighting the Germans and Vojo Kusic was a commander of the guerilla fighters.

Members of the Serbian-Montenegrin minority contributed not only in military actions but also in the field of economics, culture and education and scientific development. …Serbs are among the first in art, literature and even in dissidents and fighters against the social-fascist terror of Enver Hoxha…. We contributed greatly for construction and development of the country after the democratic changes as well as a great contribution in the democratization of the country.

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Photo: Pavle Brajovic, lawyer and president of the Moraca-Rozafa Alliance