On May 31, 1998, Xyfe, a 90-year-old widow, remained in her village in Kosovo as Serbian troops attacked, while her nephew Dine fought with the KLA. After the village fell, Dine returned the next day seeking older residents but disappeared, leaving behind unanswered questions. The book “Dignity for the Missing” reveals the ongoing plight of over 1,600 missing persons from the Kosovo war, addressing the political neglect of their families’ suffering and the need for renewed investigations into mass graves.
On May 31, 1998, Xyfe, a ninety-year-old widow, was residing with her nephew Dine and his family in a western Kosovo village. That day marked a turning point as Serbian forces began bombarding their village. While the rest of the family fled, Xyfe, unable to walk, remained behind with Dine, who chose to defend their home alongside the local Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
By the afternoon, Serbian troops had overtaken the village. Dine, along with the KLA, retreated but returned the next day while armed with a light machine gun. His intention was to search for any residents, including Xyfe, who had stayed behind. Tragically, accounts later emerged reporting gunfire from the direction of the village.
Since that day, both Xyfe and Dine have vanished without a trace. When family members returned months later, they discovered only a heap of bullet casings where their home once stood.
This harrowing narrative is chronicled in the book “Dignity for the Missing,” authored by renowned Serbian human rights advocate Natasa Kandic, who also founded the Humanitarian Law Fund. The book compiles over 2000 testimonies from family members and witnesses, along with more than 1500 reports and court documents. It spans 750 pages and recounts the final moments of 1,636 individuals still unaccounted for 25 years after the Kosovo war.
The reality of not knowing the fate of these hundreds of individuals weighs heavily on their families: Should they create an empty grave for a loved one? Or hope against hope that one day, their missing family member might return?
Despite the desperate pleas of countless relatives seeking closure, political leaders frequently ignore or obstruct these calls. Much of this resistance is rooted in the historical divide between Belgrade and Pristina.
War Crimes Concealed by Both Sides
The Kosovo conflict, which raged from 1998 to 1999, claimed approximately 12,000 lives, primarily among Kosovars, but also included Serbs and other ethnic minorities. Following the war, around 4,500 people were reported missing, disappearing at the hands of the warring factions—Yugoslav forces, the Serbian police, paramilitary groups, and KLA guerrillas.
In the wake of NATO’s intervention in March 1999, Serbian troops escalated their assaults on Albanian civilians. In an effort to cover up their atrocities, mass graves were exhumed in the closing months of the conflict, and the remains were transported to secondary burial sites in Serbia. Reports indicate that refrigerated trucks were used to dispose of bodies in lakes and rivers, while others were allegedly incinerated.
After the war concluded in June, the Kosovar side retaliated against the remaining Serbian and non-Albanian populace. The KLA also targeted perceived collaborators, further trying to erase the evidence of war crimes.
Since then, over 2,500 individuals have been identified, and their remains returned to their families for proper burial. However, hopes of locating the remaining 1,600 missing persons continue to dwindle as the search loses momentum.
Call for Renewed Investigations
Kandic expresses her desire to ensure the memories of the forgotten become part of public discourse. “With this book, we aim to bring forth the memories of those who only exist in the minds of their families,” she remarks. “We want to ensure they are not erased from history.” She advocates for renewed investigations into areas suspected of containing mass graves.
The largest known mass grave was discovered in Batajnica, near Belgrade, containing the remains of 744 Kosovars. Additional remains were found nearby, yet the search efforts have largely stagnated since the initial discoveries in 2001.
Kandic’s research suggests that many of the missing individuals whose relatives were identified in better-known mass graves may also be interred nearby. However, she warns that the situation at the Perucac reservoir is more complex, with credible information suggesting bodies may have been disposed of in the lake, which would necessitate a thorough investigation.
The likelihood of renewed investigations into the mass graves remains uncertain. Although Serbia has expressed a willingness to cooperate, actual measures are lacking due to the prevailing political atmosphere. Both Kosovo and Serbia have been focused on memorializing their respective victims while concealing pertinent information that could aid in finding the missing.
Limited Progress Amid Calls for Cooperation
Both Serbia and Kosovo have established state commissions aimed at addressing missing persons. While they have reportedly collaborated at times—with