Tribute to the ten defenders of Karpalak on the 25th anniversary

Minister of Sport Borko Ristovski and a government delegation on Saturday visited the Karpalak memorial to pay tribute to ten Macedonian defenders who lost their lives 25 years ago defending the country. A separate delegation from SDSM, led by deputy chair Fani Karanfilova Panovska, and representatives of Levica also laid wreaths at the site.

"Sasho Kitanoski, Nane Naumoski, Branko Sekuloski, Marko Despotoski, Erdovan Shabanoski, Ljube Grujoski, Darko Veljanoski, Vebi Rushitoski, Goran Minoski and Pece Sekuloski. Ten names that Macedonia must not forget. Their sacrifice is built into the foundations of our state. They stood in its defense when it was hardest and gave Macedonia the most precious thing a person can give — their own life," the minister said, the Ministry of Sport said in a statement.

Ristovski underlined that Karpalak is more than a place of collective grief: it is where the nation is reminded of courage, duty, honour and love of the homeland. "It is our duty to keep their names from oblivion, to honour their sacrifice, and to pass to future generations the truth about the people who stood in defense of Macedonia. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their death, today we bow before their sacrifice with deep respect and gratitude. Eternal glory to the heroes of Karpalak. Never forgotten. Long live Macedonia!" he said.

Political delegations at the memorial

The SDSM delegation, which included organizational secretary Zoran Trifunovski and the head of the party's Tetovo branch Zhika Alexoski, laid flowers at the memorial and paid respect to the fallen defenders.

"Eternal glory to Goran Minovski, Sasho Kitanoski, Vebi Rushitoski, Branko Sekuloski, Ljube Grujoski, Nane Naumoski, Erdovan Shabanoski, Marko Despotoski, Pece Sekuloski and Darko Veljanoski, the army reservists who on 8 August 2001 were killed near the Karpalak site," SDSM said in its statement.

A Levica delegation, led by councilor Bobi Ilievski, likewise laid flowers and said the state has still not secured justice for the Karpalak massacre. "A quarter of a century later, the state still has not secured justice for the Karpalak massacre. On the contrary, for years we have witnessed how political elites close the matter with amnesties, silence and political deals. Meanwhile, the status of the defenders has remained unresolved for decades, and the families of the fallen have been left to bear the burden of an injustice the state refuses to correct. Even today, instead of opening the question of responsibility for the war crimes of 2001, the authorities continue a policy of forgetting and relativization. The same political structures that for years have postponed solving the status of the defenders now again ask the Macedonian people to accept that they must remain silent about parts of their history," Levica said, announcing it will continue to seek justice and accountability.

On 8 August 2001 members of the Macedonian security forces were ambushed in a trap set by members of the UÇK, an attack that left ten army reservists dead at Karpalak.

Photo: Ministerstvo za sport