No information on whether a blood feud between Haki Hoxha and Fatmir Haklaj has taken place could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), ENTER News Agency, Union for Democracy of Albania and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) all reported that the chief of the Tropoja police commissariat, Fatmir Haklaj, killed border police officer, Shaqir Hoxha in January 1998 (ATA Aug. 1999; ibid. 14 Jan. 1998; ibid. 9 Jan. 1998; Union for Democracy of Albania 19 Jan. 1998; RFE/RL 12 Jan. 1998; ENTER 10 Jan. 1998; ibid. 9 Jan. 1998b). ENTER News Agency also reported that Fatmir Haklaj killed border officer Shefqet Hoxha on 9 January 1998 (ENTER 9 Jan. 1998a).

ATA reported that the prosecutor's office in Albania had as of 13 January 1998 not yet determined the cause of the killing, but had eliminated any "political motivation" for the act (ATA 14 Jan. 1998). News articles published by ENTER and ATA state that the act was motivated by revenge (ATA 21 Jan. 1998; ibid. 9 Jan. 1998; ENTER 9 Jan. 1998b). The Albanian Interior Minister implied in comments on the incident that although the event involved two police officers, the killing was a result of blood-feud practices (ATA 9 Jan. 1998). RFE/RL also reported that the prosecutor's office for Tropoja had stated the killing was the result of a blood feud between the Hoxha and the Haklaj families, but that local policemen denied that a blood feud existed between these families (12 Jan. 1998). RFE/RL and ENTER both reported that the event followed the killing of Fatmir Haklaj's brother earlier in the week (RFE/RL 12 Jan. 1998; ENTER 9 Jan. 1998a).

Fatmir Haklaj was nominated chief of police in Tropoja after the election of the leftist coalition government in June 1997 elections (ENTER 9 Jan. 1998a), but no information on whether Fatmir Haklaj was aligned with the socialist party in Albania could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. No information on whether Haki Hoxha was aligned with the Democratic Party or whether he carried out his position as police inspector in Shkodra could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA). 21 August 1999. "Haklaj to be Medically Treated in Tirana Military Hospital." http:// listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

______. 21 January 1998. "Citizen Killed in Tropoje." http:// listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

______. 14 January 1998. "Albania: Probe into Tropoje Murder Excludes 'Political Motivation'." (FBIS-EEU-98-014 16 Jan. 1998/WNC)

______. 13 January 1998. "Situation in Tropoje under Normalization." http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

______. 9 January 1998. "Interior Minister Calls Policeman Killing in Tropoje Cannon Crime." http://www.telpress.it/ata/1998\jan_98/hdarch09.htm [Accessed 3 May 2004]

ENTER. 10 January 1998. "Nano: Police Will Continue to Fight Crime." http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

______. 9 January 1998a. "Chief of Tropoja Commissariat Kills an Officer." http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

______. 9 January 1998b. "Former Police Chief Kills Police Inspector for Revenge Motives." http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 12 January 1998. "Police Chief Kills Colleague in Northern Albania." http://www.rferl.org/newsline/1998/01/4-see/see-120198.asp [Accessed 19 May 2004]

Union for Democracy of Albania. 19 January 1998. Memorandum. http:listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu [Accessed 19 May 2004]

Internet sites, including: Alba News, Albania Today, Albanian Daily News, American Journalism Review, BBC, Dialog, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Rilindja Demokratike, World News.