Albanian BDI candidate shot in ambush in North Macedonia

A serious incident occurred Tuesday in Kumanovo, North Macedonia, where masked assailants ambushed and opened fire on a candidate of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI).

Why is this important: The attack on a BDI election candidate raises serious concerns about rising political tensions and the fragile interethnic stability in North Macedonia. Tensions between the Macedonian and Albanian communities have deepened since the nationalist VMRO-DPMNE government took power, vowing to roll back many of the rights and guarantees secured under the Ohrid Agreement. While the motives and perpetrators of the shooting remain unknown, the incident risks further escalating divisions in a country still marked by the memory of the 2001 armed conflict between ethnic Albanian insurgents and Macedonian security forces.

Context: BDI confirmed that the victim is Zekirja Shaini, 43, from the village of Sllupçan in the Likovo municipality. Shahini was serving as the top candidate for the BDI council list in Likovo. He sustained three gunshot wounds to the legs and was transported to a hospital in Kumanovo. His condition is reported to be stable and not life-threatening.

Witnesses told investigators that the gunman wore a mask and fled quickly from the scene. The police and a specialized investigative team are present on site, working to reconstruct the sequence of events and apprehend the perpetrators.

In response, BDI announced it would suspend its public activities for the day and called on national authorities to respond decisively:

“We condemn this barbaric act of violence and demand that the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecutor’s Office act immediately, with full transparency and determination, to identify, arrest, and bring to justice those behind this assassination attempt.”

The party also appealed to supporters and citizens to remain calm and avoid provocations, urging trust in law enforcement.