Sylejman Sylejmani (January 29, 1953 – January 28, 2017) was an Albanian academic, politician, military commander, and activist. He was a professor of chemistry at the

University of Prishtina The University of Pristina () is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–1999) as a result of the Kosovo War. The inauguration o ...

and served as the Education Minister of Gjakova. He also led the League of Albanian Educators (LASH) and was a co-founder of the

Democratic League of Kosovo The Democratic League of Kosovo (, LDK) is the oldest and one of the largest list of political parties in Kosovo, political parties in Kosovo. History During the late 1980s, nationalism was on the rise throughout the Socialist Federal Republi ...

(LDK) and the

Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an Albanians, ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Republic of Serbia (1992–2006), Republic of R ...

(KLA). Sylejmani participated in the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

and suffered from

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

(ALS), reportedly as a result of torture endured during and prior to the conflict.

Early life

Sylejmani was born on January 29, 1953, in Brovinë,

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

Career and activism

Sylejmani became a key figure in the educational and political movements in Gjakova. He assumed leadership of LASH in 1994 during an institutional crisis, succeeding Feti Dashi. Under his leadership, LASH stabilized and continued to advocate for the Albanian education system, which faced significant suppression by Serbian authorities. Throughout his career, Sylejmani endured multiple arrests, raids, and physical abuse by Serbian security forces, including those led by Streten Camovic. Despite these challenges, he remained active in the education sector and political activism. Under the FARK and the KLA,Sylejman Sylejmani initially joined the war effort by gathering finance and recruiting other intellectual figures to the army like Mark Malota and Gjergj Sokoli.On April the 20th 1998 Sylejman Sylejmani was made the chief operative and Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the KLA under Brigade 134 with the supreme command by Sali Cekaj where he led the fighting in Reka e keqes and led key operations of the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

such as the Defense of Smolica. Sylejman Sylejmani started his fighting in the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

,during the attack on Dobrosh,

Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakov ...

,Where the KLA commanded by Rifat Sylejmani and Sylejman Sylejmani managed to capture the village and set up the first regional KLA headquarters in the region of

as well as a KLA hospital in the village led by Afrim Sylejmani and Haxhi Kamberi which later became crucial for the major KLA confrontations such as the Battle of Junik and the Battle of Kosare.They then gathered locals and pushed forward capturing the villages of Nivokaz and Sheremet near

allowing the KLA to access Junik where Rifat Sylejmani and Sylejmani joined with commander Hysen Male Arifi to counterattack a Serbian Offensive against their entry into

Junik Junik ( sq-definite, Juniku; sr-Cyrl, Јуник) is a town and municipality in the Gjakova District in western Kosovo. History During the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans, Junik and the Municipality of Junik were part of the Nahiya of Altun- ...

in the village of Kallavaj resulting in the battle of Kallavaj to commence ending with a KLA victory. In 2000-2007, Sylejmani served as the deputy mayor of

under Mayor

Aqif Shehu Aqif Shehu is a former politician in Kosovo and former footballer. He was a member of the parallel Republic of Kosova assembly in the 1990s and served as mayor of Gjakova from 2001 to 2007. For most of his time as an elected official, Shehu was a ...

, representing the LDK.

Personal life

Sylejmani married Fatime Sylejmani, and the couple had six children.

Death

Sylejmani died on January 28, 2017.

Recognition and legacy

During his funeral, President

Fatmir Sejdiu Fatmir Sejdiu (; born 23 October 1951) is a Kosovo Albanian politician. He was the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and was the 1st President of Republic of Kosovo. Early life and education Fatmir Sejdiu was born on 23 October 1 ...

praised his dedication and contributions to Kosovo’s liberation. In 2017, during the 27th anniversary of the LDK branch in Gjakova, Prime Minister

Isa Mustafa Isa Mustafa (; born 15 May 1951) is a retired Kosovar politician. Mustafa was the mayor of Pristina from December 2007 to December 2013 and served as the prime minister of Kosovo between December 2014 and September 2017. He was the leader of the ...

and LDK leader Luan Gola posthumously honored Sylejmani for his activism and contributions to the party from 1990 to 2017. His wife received a posthumous certificate of recognition from the Institution of Pedagogy in Kosova (IPK) and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MASHT) for his contributions from 2007 until his death.https://ipkmasht.rks-gov.net/2017/03/21/u-d-drejtoresha-e-institutit-pedagogjik-te-kosoves-laberi-luzha-ndau-mirenjohje-pas-vdekjes-per-sylejman-sylejmanin/

References

1953 births 2017 deaths People from Gjakova {{Albania-bio-stub