Xhezair Shaqiri

Xhezair Shaqiri
Nickname(s)Commander Hoxha
Born(1965-05-15)15 May 1965
Tanuševci, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia
Allegiance Kosovo Liberation Army
National Liberation Army
Years of service1998–2001
RankCommander
Unit138th Brigade "Agim Ramadani"
113th Brigade "Ismet Jashari"
Battles / wars
Other workDeputy, special adviser

Xhezair Shaqiri (Macedonian: Џезаир Шаќири; born 15 May 1965), also known as Commander Hoxha, is a Macedonian politician of Albanian descent, former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and commander of the National Liberation Army (NLA).

Life

Xhezair Shaqiri was born on 15 May 1965 in Tanuševci, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia.[2] In 1998 he joined the KLA as a soldier. During his participation in the Kosovo War, he first participated in the Battle of Glođane, in which the Yugoslav Army was defeated and had to retreat.[3] He later was put into a unit under the command of Agim Ramadani with who he fought the Yugoslav Army during the Koshare ambush.[3]

After the Kosovo War, he joined the National Liberation Army (NLA) during the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia, becoming one of the first NLA commanders and was active in the Karadak region mainly in the villages of Tanuševci, Lipkovo and Aračinovo.[4] He led the first NLA group into Tanuševci in mid-February.[5] According to the Macedonian Ministry of Interior, he was the direct perpetrator of the murder of a police officer, in the shopping center Chairchanka in Skopje.[2] After the war, he joined the party National Democratic Party, taking some of his former soldiers with him.[6] He was also a deputy in the Macedonian parliament.[7] In 2007, he claimed to be in control of Tanuševci, wanting to secede and join Kosovo.[8]

On 24 July 2001, he was placed on the Macedonian blacklist of citizens and 3 days later he was placed on the blacklist list of US President George W. Bush.[9][10]

In May 2018, then-Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev appointed him as an adviser to the office of prime minister in the field of internal security and radicalism. VMRO-DPMNE condemned his appointment.[11] He resigned from the position due to the public reaction against him.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ "Macedonia: Rebels: Ethnic Albanian rebel forces near the border". newsroom.ap.org. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  2. ^ a b White Book: Terrorism of the So-Called NLA. Skopje: Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia. 2001. p. 76. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b perparim.r. "Jeta dhe vepra e Xhezair Shaqirit-Komandat Hoxhes | Besimtari". Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  4. ^ "Skopje Braced for War". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. 13 June 2001.
  5. ^ Vickers, Miranda; Pettifer, James (2006-10-27). The Albanian Question: Reshaping the Balkans. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85771-024-6. Xhezair Shaqiri (Commander Hoxha), who led the first NLA group into Tanusche village in mid-February 2001, have challenged the views of Ahmeti and others about some events.
  6. ^ Pëllumb Kelmendi (2022). "Rebel Successor Parties and Their Electoral Performance in the Balkans". Security Studies. 31 (3). Routledge: 471. doi:10.1080/09636412.2022.2112275.
  7. ^ "Macedonia: Former Guerrilla Says Gunfire Drove Off Police". Balkan Insight. 31 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Macedonia Silent Ahead of Kosovo Declaration of Independence". Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa. 14 February 2008.
  9. ^ "The Macedonian Black List". 2011-08-22. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  10. ^ "Wayback Machine". 2012-03-16. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  11. ^ "VMRO-DPMNE: By employing Commander Hoxha, Zaev is giving way to thugs". Meta.mk. 7 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Xhezair Shaqiri-Hoxha will receive a reimbursement for his engagement". Meta.mk. 14 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Xhezair Shaqiri – Hoxha resigns as PM Zaev advisor". Nezavisen. 11 May 2018.