Albania, Vlora, April 1997, demonstration in memory of the tragedy of the Otranto Canal (28 March 1997), when the Italian military ship Sibilla accidentally rammed the Albanian patrol boat Katër i Radës loaded with refugees escaping from the civil war, causing about 83 deaths and missing.
In January 1997 in Albania, still looking for a fragile balance after the fall of the dictatorial regime of Enver Hoxha, a serious financial scandal generates an unprecedented social crisis, which becomes civil war and criminal violence: all against everyone, after having robbed the well-stocked military arsenals of the past regime. Hundreds of refugees flee to Italy with all the boats available, often run by gangster organizations of smugglers. The Italian government (Prodi), fearing the repetition of the situation out of control in 1991, quickly took two measures: the sending of a strong military contingent (which takes the name of Operation Alba, with the consent of the United Nations and the OSCE) in the south of the country, most affected by the armed clashes, and a strict naval blockade. On the evening of 28 March 1997, a ramshackle Albanian patrol boat named Katër i Radës, stolen by criminals who managed the trafficking of illegal immigrants and loaded with 120 fugitives, was hired by the Italian Navy's Sibyl corvette, with a series of daring manoeuvres to prevent it from proceeding; unfortunately, during these manoeuvres, the corvette mistakenly rammed the Albanian boat, causing a total of about 83 dead and missing (never found again). It will go down in history as tragedy of the Otranto Canal, or tragedy of Holy Friday. On April 11 in Vlore, still infested by gangs of armed underworld and manned by Bersaglieri and Marò of the San Marco battalion, an immense procession of people crosses the city and heads towards the sea, both secular funeral and protest demonstration to demand compliance with the promises of justice made by the Italian Government. Translated with
Size: 3675px × 2450px
Location: Vlore, Albania
Photo credit: © Dino Fracchia / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1997, albania, albanian, canal, casualties, casualty, civil, demonstration, disaster, europe, european, funeral, historic, historical, history, katë, march, memorial, otranto, photo, picture, protest, radë, refugees, shipwreck, tragedy, valona, victim, victims, vlore, war
