Neutral Zone of Junik

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The Neutral Zone of Junik (1921–1923) was a neutral demilitarized border area between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and the Principality of Albania.

History[edit]

Establishment[edit]

The neutral area was established in November 1921 by the authority of the League of Nations following border disputes between the two countries and the frequent military intrusion from the Yugoslav side since 1918 into the Albanian side as well as continuous skirmish between the Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslavian army.[1] The area included a couple of villages around Junik and the Highlands of Gjakova along the Kosovo border with Albania (back then part of the Prefecture of Kosovo). The zone consisted of the villages Junik, Molliq, Botushë, Brovinë, Ponoshec, Babaj i Bokës, Popoc, Shishman, and Koshare.[2] Beside Junik, the rest correspond today to border villages of the District of Gjakova.

Ongoing[edit]

The area was practically autonomous, ruled by local bayraktars and the Kanun only.[3]
Despite the intention, the area served as a buffer zone for the kachak guerrillas and was a starting point for consecutive Albanian rebellions organized from 1921 to 1924 in Kosovo. Many chetas settled around Junik and launched offensives against the Serbian armies starting from there.[4] Azem Galica and his men settled there, and later Hasan Prishtina also joined.[5] Beside attacks on the Serbian army, the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo organized insurgencies against the Zog-controlled governments of Tirana, the latest being a sworn enemy of the Committee of Kosovo and Kosovar irredentists. The Committee of Kosovo leaders as Hasan Prishtina, Bajram and Hysni Curri, and Azem Galica initiated more than once attacks against the Albanian armies and authorities stationed nearby. Two main ones were the Albanian Rebellion of 1922,[6] and the other tentative in January 1923. During the last attempt, Beqir Vokshi, a former member of the Committee who resigned and was recently enlisted as an officer of the Albanian army was killed by Galica's men. Vokshi was trying to persuade the population of Junik to not support the recent guerrilla attacks upon the military installments of the Krumë and Tropojë regions. Beqir Vokshi was amongst those who opposed the Kachak Movement in the Neutral Zone of Junik, and on the 21st of January, when Hasan Prishtina invited him to a meeting where he pleaded with him to refrain from supporting Zog and working against the Movement, Beqir declined and left for a meeting with Zog's officials in Krumë the next day.[7][8][9]

Dissolution[edit]

In early January 1923, the rebels had taken an offensive over Tropojë, followed by a broader one on Has District. They had surrounded Krumë (center of the Prefecture of Kosovo), attacked the gendarme stations in Nikaj-Mërtur and arrived by the Drin river. The most severe fighting took place near Krumë town, which was attacked from two sides by the guerrillas of Azem Galica and Sadik Rama.
Following the events, Ahmet Zogu ordered a major offensive. After pushing the insurgents back to the Neutral Zone, in late January 1923 the Albanian army entered Junik. The Kachaks left the area and went inside Kosovo. Later, the area was handed over to the Yugoslavs, and a joint-border patrolling was established. The Yugoslav army burned down the houses which had served as kachak basis and executed around 60 people.[10] By February 1923, the Neutral Zone stopped existing.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kristaq Prifti (Instituti i Historisë - Akademia e Shkencave e RSH) (1993). The truth on Kosova. Encyclopaedia Publishing House. p. 163. OCLC 30135036. The intervention of the League of Nations brought about the formation of a "neutral zone" of Junik in November 1921. Within the creating of the "neutral zone" of Junik, the military reduced the intensity of its actions...
  2. ^ Bedri Tahiri (2008-08-02), Hasan Prishtina, truri i levizjes kombetare shqiptare (1908- 1933) (in Albanian), Prishtina: Pashtriku.de, retrieved 2014-02-18, Ky territor i lirë përfshinte këto fshatra: Junik, Mulliq, Batushë, Brovinë, Ponoshec, Bobaj- Boks, Popoc, Shishman e Koshare
  3. ^ Bedri Tahiri (2008-08-02), Hasan Prishtina, truri i levizjes kombetare shqiptare (1908- 1933) (in Albanian), Prishtina: Pashtriku.de, retrieved 2014-02-18, Në të u vendos pushteti nga ana e popullit vendës, nga shqiptarët dhe gëzonte autonomi të plotë.
  4. ^ Ivo Banac (1988). The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Cornell University Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0801494932. ...within the neutral frontier zone toward Yugoslavia, where, notably at Junik, the KK and Bejta had their basis.
  5. ^ Bedri Tahiri (2008-08-02), Hasan Prishtina, truri i levizjes kombetare shqiptare (1908- 1933) (in Albanian), Prishtina: Pashtriku.de, retrieved 2014-02-18, Si shumica e çetave kaçake, edhe Çeta e Azemit kaloi atje. Me veti i kishte edhe dy gratë: Shotën e Zojën dhe u vendos në shtëpinë e Tafë Hoxhës. Nuk kaloi shumë kohë e në Zonën Neutrale të Junikut erdhi edhe Hasan Prishtina që u vendos te Salih Bajrami-Berisha.
  6. ^ Ivo Banac (1988). The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Cornell University Press. p. 305. ISBN 978-0801494932. In March 1922, Bajram Curri, Hasan Bej Prishtina, and Elez Jusufi, and important kacak leader, tried to overthrow the government in Tirana, but failed.
  7. ^ "Gjurmime albanologjike: Seria e shkencave historike". Gjurmime Albanologjike. 11: 232. 1982.
  8. ^ Ajet Haxhiu (1982), Shota dhe Azem Galica, Shtëpia Botuese "8 Nëntori", pp. 194–197, OCLC 255488782, ...më 14 shkurt 1921, kryetari i Komitetit, Hoxha Kadri Prishtina, njoftonte se lutja e Beqir Vokshit për dorëheqje si anëtar i qendrës së Komitetit pranohej...[on 14 February 1921, Hoxha Kadri Prishtina, announced that the resignation of Beqir Vokshi as a member of Committee Center was accepted...]
    Shkaku i vrasjes eshte se Beqir Vokshi ne rastin e levizjes qe u be kunder Krumes kishte pase mberrite me e ndalu popullin e "Zones Neutrale" nga te marrunit pjese...[The motive of the assassination is that Beqir Vokshi in the case of the movement against Kruma had managed to stop the population of the "Neutral Zone" from participating...]
  9. ^ Gjurmime Albanologjike. Seria e shkencave historike. Prishtina: Instituti Albanologjik i Prishtinës. 1982. pp. 232–233. ISSN 0436-0273. OCLC 1461456.
  10. ^ Plani Zhvillimor Urban JUNIKU 2023+ (in Albanian), Municipality of Junik, June 2009, p. 22, retrieved 2014-02-18, Si rezultat i rezistencës dhe luftërave kundër pushtuesit në dhjetor 1921 deri në shkurt 1923 u formua Zona Neutrale e Junikut, ku gjetën strehë dhe përkrahje shumë kryengritës dhe luftëtarë kundër pushtuesit serbo-malazez. Pas kësaj Juniku përjetoi një tragjedi të rëndë. Kështu në vitin 1923 serbët dogjën 12 shtëpi, vranë 60 burra dhe plaçkitën fshatin.
  11. ^ Noel Malkolm (FAMA International) (2004), Kosovo: a chain of causes 1225 B.C. - 1991 and consequences 1991-1999, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, ISBN 9788672080988, OCLC 244121915, and at the end of January 1923 he sent the Albanian army into the Junik 'neutral zone', driving out all the kacaks and setting up joint Albanian- Yugoslav patrols to stop them from coming back.
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