“Don't die without finding the boy”, 79-year-old pending news of the violent missing son

For the past 23 years, nothing is known about the fate of the Ramabaja Union, missing as 27 years old in 1999.

His father, Shaip Ramaba, remembers April 18, as the last day he saw his son.

In the period of 99, because of violence by Serbian forces, the Ramabaya family from Hyvalya had moved to the village of Mramor.

For the same reasons, in April that year they were forced to return back to Hyvalya in Pristina, but this time not their son Union.

He had remained in the mountain and, according to what his father knows, on April 22nd 1999, the Union had tried to go to Kolovica, a Pristina neighbourhood, but was captured by Serb forces.

On April 18th evening, we're headed home, I prayed to the boy he never said I got him (the mother) and with him I got to protect you until the end, I don't take his hand alive. 21 probably tried to get into Colovica, he was there, he was probably caught in Colovica, he was caught by parasites and taken to prison just as I have data, tortured and beaten every day by whom you were soldiers, he didn't tell. On June 12th, when NATO has entered, it has remained the last one in that room in Lipjan, what they have done with it, I have no leads. I lost my son”, Ramabaya says, until he relates the story of his son's disappearance 23 years ago.

Annie, why there has been a lot of effort to whitewash her son's fate, Ramaba has been unable to find him for two decades now.

Now, while 79 years old pray that he will not die without receiving news of his son's whereabouts.

I said, "God is not going to take away my soul without a day for him, Evlad is a part of my heart, part of my life." My greatest wealth in this world is with me for days something for the boy, to find him alive but to live except God, I am not willing to say, but at least to know what, not to die with his goods, I said, "God don't take my life without a day." He says.

Painfully, the story of the violent missing boy from Serbian forces, the 79-year-old man shares it with the Kosovo team, where he also calls on the Government of Kosovo to find the Union and all other missing persons, as he says, whether alive or dead.

I had prayed to Albin Kurt for barely any shit, how they are, whether he's alive, 99% isn't, but if he's alive not only he's just alive but he's a whole lot better, then a way to go to pray for him sometimes, there's this one I've been praying with, because they've done nothing to themselves. Hope 99% no, 1% but little because you're looking at it, they've left it all”, Ramabaja says.

The issue of the found is a priority for the Government of Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said, stressing that they will do their best to make it white.

“The question of the found is the goal for the Government of Kosovo, they are gone with violence and we will make our Macymunism so that this issue is cleared up, it gets white as soon as possible because the anxiety of family members is perhaps even greater than their grief which is not their only... We have readiness and interest but it doesn't depend on us”, Kosovo told the Kosovo Press on Friday when asked if there will be any agreement on this issue.

And the European Union's special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, during his recent visit to Kosovo, has indicated that he is working to convince the parties to sign a document on the issue of missing persons, and on whose content he has not provided details.

The question of missing persons is an important humanitarian issue, which is discussed in dialogue as a priority issue for both sides. As such, it will remain at the head of the dialogue agenda. Last week's energy deal is a step forward. The guide sets a clear timetable and concrete steps for implementation of the 2013 and 2015 Energy Agreements. The EU now expects both sides to respect the agreed steps and implement them in due time in trust. We will continue to work with both sides on other issues on the agenda, including the issue of missing persons. We call on both sides to show flexibility in order to give new political impetus to efforts to resolve the remaining cases of missing persons”, EU spokesperson for foreign policy and security says in a written response to Peter Stano.

According to Bajram Qerkeyni from the Burival Centre for Missing Persons, Lajcak has been told that in the event of signing an agreement between the parties, there will be supervision for implementation by the international community.

“Lus not to go without preparation in Brussels, not to be surprised at saying political things or technical things to mix with the issue of the missing persons, even an item that I have to say, has accepted Lajcak at our request, after having a meal after the agreement is written, always having an overseer from the European community come to terms with or are not being realised, he says.

While according to the Fund's director for Humanitarian Law, Bekim Blakaj, confirming the parties that the question of the fate of missing persons would be treated as humanitarian would help the process of whitewashing the fate of missing persons.

“We had hope that the parties would sit down and sign a statement at least if not a common agreement on the issue of missing persons. I believe that even this process, the process of finding a deal to whitewash the fate of missing persons has been very prosperous, it is the last time to reach such an agreement and that this will reflect then on the field and with the finding of bodies, whiteening the fate of missing persons... The whole process has not been very transparent and we cannot know what that agreement or declaration could include, however, it is important that the political-level parties agree to push ahead with the question of whiteening the fate of missing persons”, Blakaj says.

Kosovo institutions and associations representing families of missing persons have consistently urged Serbia to provide information about those who disappeared with violence, but the same has hidden the data on potential mass graves.

More than 1600 people who have been forcibly missing in Kosovo during the last war, among them the Ramabaja Union.

I and my friend, until we get a thousand quills and we never forget it, never because of the equivalent of the heart, but life without life, we have no quazar”, says Shaip Ramabaya.