BBC in Shkodra: Revenge, a dish that is served very cold in Albania

The British news agency BBC has dedicated an article to the phenomenon of blood feuds in Albania and its negative impact on children.

It is said that revenge is a dish that is better served cold, but in Albania it is served colder than you can imagine,” writes BBC.

Complete BBC Article

Although they have a long history, blood feuds still remain hot today, with 69 families from Shkodra who are unable to leave their homes. We visited Nikon, a 13-year-old boy, in his small village in northern Albania. It is said that Niko is in blood with another family, and lives under threat of death for what is supposed to be crimes committed before he was born.

Niko lives with his elderly grandparents and is in danger every time he leaves home. Tens of other families from the Shkodra region live on <x0-vented” in their homes.

We had to drive and boat with his teacher Ljiljana Lion to visit Nico in his isolated community. Lady Lion specializes in teaching children trapped in their homes. Blood feud won't even let kids go to school.

Blood feuds have previously been written in a book of laws called Kanun, dating back to the 15th century. The Kanun then established order in northern Albanian tribes.

But Mrs. Lion says Kanun's rules have often been violated by those involved in blood feuds. If they were to follow Kanun's rules, they wouldn't kill women and children. But nowadays, they do not follow either Kanun's rules or state laws,” says the Albanian teacher.

Blood feuds in Nikos' family began shortly after the deep economic crisis in Albania with the fall of pyramid schemes. His family is in blood with another family near his village. A member of Nikos' family killed his neighbor. This led to other murders, which already make Nico live in fear.

The Lion teacher told the BBC that Niko has little knowledge of blood feuds as it is small. He listens to other people talking about the matter. And everything he does is to remain silent. But he's nervous about the fact that he's got to stay trapped,” she says.

Colonel Jovalin Loka, police chief in the Shkodra region, said he is doing everything to prevent the blood feud phenomenon. It is also said that the new reform of justice undertaken by the state can only once and for all remove this phenomenon from Albanian life. /Okéu. com/