The municipality of Gusinje yesterday removed a bust of Jusuf Čelić (Isuf Kamera Čelaj) in the village of Vusanje. The monument was erected in 2013 without the approval of the Ministry of Culture and Media.
The action was taken on the order of the inspector for cultural goods, who on Tuesday, August 12, issued a decision giving the local administration a three-day deadline to dismantle the monument. The municipal services respected the deadline, and the bust was removed.
The monument was erected without the necessary permits, and the inspection had already ordered its removal at the time; however, the decision was not enforced for more than a decade.
Following the removal, the question of accountability is also being raised: first, for those who erected and funded the controversial monument more than ten years ago, but also for those responsible in municipal and state institutions who allowed the bust to remain in a public area for over a decade despite earlier inspection orders. Sources emphasize that a full review of the actions of all relevant authorities in this case must be conducted.
Jusuf Čelić was the commander of a “vulnetar” company, a militia formation composed of Albanians from the areas of Plav, Gusinje, and Albania. According to some historians, this paramilitary unit, formed under the auspices of fascist Italy in World War II, is linked to crimes against the Orthodox population.
On the other hand, the president of the National Council of Albanians, Faik Nika, announced that Čelić “was not a collaborator of the occupiers,” but, as he states, a respected fighter for the freedom of his people and the locals in Plav and Gusinje. The NSA reacted to the removal of the monument, stating that Čelić’s role in local history is assessed differently.
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Source: Politika, Foto: Sandžacke.rs