Shaqir Salihu recounts Kosovo, exile, and VOA years on Fakte

Shaqir Salihu, the former Voice of America Albanian Service editor and activist, discussed his imprisonment, 1970 move to the United States, diaspora organizing, and Kosovo’s road to liberation in a new interview on Fakte with Adnan Merovci. The interview also revisits Ibrahim Rugova’s U.S. outreach, NATO’s March 24, 1999 intervention, and Salihu’s warning that Kosovo cannot risk its strategic ties with the United States.

Why it matters: - Shaqir Salihu’s story ties together Kosovo’s modern political struggle, the Albanian diaspora’s organizing in Washington, and the role of U.S. media in amplifying the Kosovo issue. - The interview underscores why Salihu sees Kosovo’s partnership with the United States as a core national interest. - The full interview is available on YouTube: the full interview.

What happened: - Shaqir Salihu was the main guest on a special episode of the Albanian-language program “Fakte” with Adnan Merovci. - The conversation covered Salihu’s childhood in Banullë, Lipjan, his early years as a teacher, persecution by the Yugoslav regime, imprisonment for Albanian national activity, and escape from Yugoslavia. - Salihu also discussed his 1970 immigration to the United States as a political refugee and his later move to Washington. - He worked for 32 years at the Voice of America, including many years as editor of the Albanian Service. - Salihu retired from Voice of America in 2012.

The details: - Salihu said Voice of America was more than a workplace and served as a source of news and truth for Albanians who could not hear it through state-controlled media in Albania and Yugoslavia. - He recalled VOA coverage of demonstrations, imprisonment and killings of Albanians, discrimination in Kosovo, and the breakup of Yugoslavia. - Salihu said reporting on Kosovo was difficult at a time when some U.S. officials still viewed Yugoslavia as an important ally. - His community work included securing permits for Albanian demonstrations in Washington held in front of Congress, the White House, and the Yugoslav Embassy. - Salihu said those protests, along with repeated meetings with senators, members of Congress, and U.S. officials, helped raise American awareness of the situation in Kosovo and other Albanian-populated areas of the former Yugoslavia. - He also discussed Ibrahim Rugova’s first visits to the United States and the impact of Rugova’s peaceful, democratic message in Washington. - Salihu described Rugova as a leader who spoke briefly but carried great weight, and said Rugova played a decisive role in internationalizing Kosovo’s cause and building ties with U.S. institutions. - The interview includes Salihu’s account of March 24, 1999, when NATO launched its bombing campaign against Yugoslav forces. - Salihu said the start of NATO intervention was one of the happiest and most emotional moments of his life. - He also told the story of a special necktie once owned by Mid’hat Frashëri and later gifted to Salihu in recognition of his commitment to the Albanian national cause. - Salihu said he wears the tie only on special occasions, including Flag Day, Albania’s Independence Day, and Kosovo’s Independence Day. - After retiring, Salihu continued writing as an author and chronicler of Kosovo’s history. - His book “Rrëfime lirie” traces his path from Yugoslav prisons to Voice of America. - Salihu also documented Ibrahim Rugova’s press conferences and public communications from 1990 to 1999, a project that took more than a decade.

Between the lines: - The interview presents Salihu as part journalist, part activist, and part witness to Kosovo’s political evolution. - His account places media, street protest, and diplomatic outreach inside one broader strategy: keeping Kosovo visible to U.S. decision-makers. - Salihu’s warning about Kosovo’s relationship with Washington reflects a belief that U.S. backing remains central to Kosovo’s security and international standing. - When Salihu says, “Heshtja e mikut nuk është gjithmonë e këndshme,” he is signaling that silence from allies can carry diplomatic risk.

What's next: - The interview is expected to continue circulating on the Fakte YouTube channel and across Salihu’s own online platforms. - Salihu’s published work and historical documentation will keep extending his record as a chronicler of Kosovo’s struggle. - Kosovo’s leaders, he argues, need to preserve functional institutions and a stable strategic partnership with the United States.

The bottom line: - Salihu’s interview is both a personal memoir and a political warning: Kosovo’s history, in his telling, was shaped by sacrifice at home, advocacy abroad, and U.S. intervention at a decisive moment.