Neutral Zone of Junik

The Neutral Zone of Junik (1921–1923) was a neutral demilitarized border area between the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Principality of Albania.

The neutral area was established in November 1921 by the authority of the League of Nations following border disputes between the two countries and the frequent military intrusion from the Yugoslav side since 1918 into the Albanian side as well as continuous skirmish between the Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslavian army. The area included a couple of villages around Junik and the Highlands of Djakovica along the Kosovo border with Albania (back then part of the Prefecture of Kosovo). The zone consisted of the villages Junik, Mulliq/Molić, Batushë/Batusa, Brovinë/Brovina, Ponoshec/Ponosevac, Babaj i Bokës/Babaj Boks, Popoc/Popovc, Shishman/Šišman, and Koshare/Košare. Beside Junik, the rest correspond today to border villages of the District of Gjakova.

The area was practically autonomous, ruled by local bayraktars and the Kanun only.
Despite the intention, the area served as a buffer zone for the kachak guerrillas and was a starting point for consecutive Albanian rebellions organized from 1921 to 1924 in Kosovo. Many chetas settled around Junik and launched offensives against the Serbian armies starting from there.Azem Galica and his man settled there, and a little later even Hasan Prishtina joined. Beside attacks on the Serbian army, the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo organized insurgencies against the Zog-controlled governments of Tirana, the latest being a sworn enemy of the Committee of Kosovo and Kosovar irredentists. The Committee of Kosovo leaders as Hasan Prishtina, Bajram and Hysni Curri, and Azem Galica initiated more than once attacks against the Albanian armies and authorities stationed nearby. Two main ones were the Albanian Rebellion of 1922, and the other tentative in January 1923. During the last attempt, Beqir Vokshi, a former member of the Committee who was recently enlisted as an officer of the Albanian army got killed by Galica's men. Vokshi was trying to persuade the Junik population not to support the recent guerrillas attacks upon the Krumë and Tropojë regions.

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