13 years passed from the Otranto tragedy, but still not erased the pain of the families of 84 people tragically lost their lives in this event. It was the year of '97 back when Albania became an "open door madhouse". Armed men everywhere, children, instead of cars, playing with bombs, young people seeking a better life, but became "friends" at the bottom of the sea.
Vlora became a battleground, where shooting, bombings and killings were the Keywords of the day. People, with the four seeking to leave as soon as this country, but the pain is being brought. The sea was their only salvation. Boat, trawlers, boats and ships depart daily from the waters of Vlora, the destination Italy.
On March 28, ship " Kateri Radës" , with 120 people on board, where among them many women and children, went to Italy, but ... not ever reach there. Had just entered the Italian territorial waters, the Otranto, the combat ship "Sibilla" in an effort to halt deployment of 120 clandestine in Italy, interrupts dreams 84 people, sending them to the bottom of the sea. A single stroke in the middle of the ship and everything ended ... ...
"The Kateri Radës" began to sink, taking with him men, women and children. Hoots, calls and tears of those who could not escape; heard still today in the Otranto Channel. After this tragedy, there was a series of polemics in the Italian state, because it was made know who gave the order for hitting civilian ship. Italian Prime Minister at the time, Romano Prodi, never mentioned who had given him orders ominous. Even though the responsibility was too great, the captain of the Italian military ship "Sibilla" was sentenced to only three years in prison, while Captain tragedy, Namik Xhaferri, was sentenced to four years in prison. These ridiculous sentences, but take into account the fact that the tragedy that killed 84 people. Following the tragedy, only a fraction of the bodies were found, some 52 victims. Several others were found in November 1997, and many others today are still bottom of the sea.
Real responsibilities of this tragedy are many, ranging from our state, which at that time did not carry out any function and can not even protect the lives of its citizens. This no response state, to calm the situation that was created that year, brought this tragedy. Also, a load of guilt has the Italian state, whose soldiers were absurd at best, hitting a civilian ship. These people were neither criminals nor soldiers of an enemy army. They were people like them, who sought a better life, but their dream of making the sea bottom. There are still many mysteries about this tragedy, which is believed to have been mired with its victims and that do not ever to be discovered. Who gave the order? What was the role of the Albanian state in this event? Who hijacked ship? These and several other questions are still in the minds of those who managed to escape.
At the ship was all over Albania: Vlora, Fieri, Lushnja, Berati, Dibra Puka and many residents from other towns, all of whom were in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Albania was all in a boat that forced sea bags, to touch Italian soil as soon as possible. Everyone remember the issuance of a portion of the troops from the sea and bringing them to Albania. That day the sea was ferocious than ever, and the rain followed every movement of the procession mortal. From the old heard rumors that "the time of our children cry." Someone else, in silence and with tears in their eyes, saying: "Sea will not release the bodies so he become wild. Expression of these long outstanding, but in that case was confirmed, as wild sea and its waves were not the first big up day ever. Rain, that did not stop one moment, was translated as the time for tears of innocent victims.
After 13 years, the weeping of infants would become the lot of young people today. Loves of teenagers would be turned into a marriage with many children. Problems of the elderly would become white grizzle in my head, but dreams remain only dreams ... and ... can not never found the path of realization. Sea already owns them!