Albania: Feuding families…bitter lives

Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, suffers from a complex combination of economic and social ills. The fall of communism in 1992, in addition to the disastrous collapse of economic pyramid schemes in 1997 have made Albania’s road to prosperity and democracy a long and arduous one. While a democratic constitution now exists on paper, Albanians have little faith in government structures. Lawlessness and corruption continue to impede Albania’s progress toward acceptance as an equal democratic European partner.

Since 1992, more than 5,000 Albanians have been killed...entire families are imprisoned in their homes because of a blood feud dating back years This lawlessness is nowhere more evident than in northern Albania. Historically, northern Albanians have considered themselves unique and culturally independent, their villages defined by clans, or family banners, which still characterise the identity of rural northern Albanian regions. For centuries, northern Albanians have adhered to the Kanun of Leke Dukagjini, a 14th century oral code of laws proscribing all facets of life including property rights, marriage and inheritance.

It also specifies the conditions under which blood revenge should be exercised to preserve a family’s honor. According to the Kanun, the wrongful death of a family member must be vindicated by a revenge killing, carried out by a member of the deceased’s family.

In Tresh village in World Vision;s Lezha Area Development Programme (UK-sponsored), wife and mother of five, Marta Laska, waits nervously on her doorstep to welcome the head of the local blood feud reconciliation team. Drawn and tired, Marta ushers Pjeter Gjoka and his team into her tented home where poverty is evident in every corner. After a moment of silence, Marta begins to speak, desperately needing to tell her story, to cry, to shout what her heart cannot hold any longer.

“Ten years ago, my husband Ndue, went through a mental crisis. He started to physically abuse his own parents who lived with us, he beat my five children and he beat me. He kept his gun with him all the time and used to threaten the family with it,” said Marta.

Marta explains how her parents-in-law feared for their safety and left to live with their other children. Marta, fearing for her own and her children’s lives decided to stay with her parents for safety.

“Our neighbours were very concerned by what was happening and wanted the family to come together again. We warned them not to interfere because Ndue was sick and capable of any kind of craziness, but they still decided to send their son, who was a local policeman, to try to get the family back together,” continued Marta.

Ndue in the haze of his mental illness, realised someone was moving toward his house and shot the 26-year-old policeman dead. When the police arrived, they found Ndue in his home, cradling his gun and seemingly content with his action.

“Nobody knew what to do. Our entire family, everyone, young and old, men, women and children were immobilised. Our neighbours had lost their son and wanted revenge. They did not take into consideration the mental illness of Ndue,” said Marta.

My sons have to stay at home and cannot work and yet our debts increase every day Marta cries Regardless of his mental illness, Ndue was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment and remains in prison today. For 10 years, Marta and her children have also suffered their own kind of imprisonment - this kind is self imposed as the family fears for their lives. Marta has had to move from her home in Mirdite, a county in the far north of Albania, to Lezha, in the hope that by putting distance between her family and the victim’s family, she will better protect them from the blood feud. “My sons have to stay at home and cannot work and yet our debts increase every day,” Marta cries.

While the police and courts are handicapped by a proliferation of guns in civilian hands throughout Albania, the moral acceptance of the Kanun by civilians and, implicitly, the police make revenge killings commonplace. Since 1992, more than 5,000 Albanians have been killed. In some cases, entire families are imprisoned in their homes because of a blood feud dating back years. Some 1,400 children remain in hiding and countless young men have fled the country to escape retribution.

For families such as Marta’s, the only hope is reconciliation, a slow and often expensive process which can take years. Pjeter Gjoka is one of many individuals working for reconciliation. His work is not without its dangers, as the ‘forgiveness broker’ can become implicated as an apologist for the guilty family’s crimes.

In recent months, Emin Saphia, a well-known missionary for peace working in blood feud reconciliation, was murdered in what appeared to be a mafia-related crime. For every one of the 1,200 treaties of forgiveness that have been brokered there remain hundreds more families that live life under the threat of vengeance.

For Marta, there waits another sleepless night filled with fear and anxiety that one morning one of her children will be taken…either by hunger or by the blood feud…

Some Facts on the Blood Feuds

• Blood feuds, originating from the 14th century ‘Kanun’, have re-emerged since 1992.
• Blood feuds are more prevalent in the north of the country
• 5,000 Albanians have been killed due to blood feuds
• 2,500 families remain in hiding due to blood feuds
• 1,260 families have forgiven the murders of their relatives
• 1,376 children are still in hiding due to blood feuds
• 711 children do not attend school due to blood feuds
• 1,300 men have left the country due to fear of blood feud retribution
• A blood feud forgiveness broker was recently murdered in connection with his work.