In 1921, the head of the Kapidan clan, Marka Gjoni, raised a separatist uprising against the Albanian principality and proclaimed the Republic of Mirdita.
This action was quickly suppressed, but Ahmet Zogu guaranteed the traditional autonomy of Mirdita and the rights of the Catholic populations in Albania.
[5] In his ideology, the principles of Albanian nationalism and Catholicism were combined with mountain clan traditions and a certain pro-Western orientation towards fascist Italy.
During the period of the Italian occupation, he was in the leadership of the Albanian Fascist Party, then created the Independent National Bloc (INB).
[7] This was due to the fact that almost all the leading leaders of the Communist Party: Enver Hoxha, Mehmet Shehu, Hysni Kapo, Beqir Balluku, Spiro Koleka, Bedri Spahiu, Gogo Nushi, Manush Myftiu, Liri Belishova all had come from the south or, less commonly, from center of the country (with some of the exceptions being Haxhi Lleshi and Tuk Jakova).
Moreover, the position of the first two categories were determined by economic interests, while representatives of the third are hostile to communism for religious reasons.” Already in January 1945, the armed units of Abas Ermenji, under his command had tried to capture Shkodër.
The Kelmend uprising led by Prek Cali broke out in the Accursed Mountains in Malësi e Madhe, Lesh Marashi launched a rebellion in Koplik.
[9] The structure of the underground anti-communist resistance of Mirdita became the Mountain Committee It was established in March 1945 under the leadership of Mark Markagjonii.
[11] The program of the Mountain Committee proclaimed that it was a struggle against communism - advocating for the freedom and national traditions of Albania.
On August 7, 1949, underground members of the Mountain Committee, led by Ndue Bajraktari, shot and killed the secretary of the Mirdite Communist Party branch, Bardhok Biba.
A note was left at the scene of the murder: “In the name of the Mountain Committee!” According to some reports, the perpetrators managed to escape across the border into Yugoslavia .
[15] The special drama of the situation lay in the fact that Biba himself belonged to the Markagjoni clan, and in his childhood and youth he was favored by Gjon Sr.
They were led on the spot by Interior Minister Mehmet Shehu, director Sigurimi Beqir Ndou, Chairman of the Military Court Bilbil Klosi, State Security Colonel Ziya Kambo, Lieutenant Togher Baba (aka Hodo Habibi).
Sigurimi carried out a special operation involving the introduction of party functionary Pal Melyshi, a personal friend of Biba, who was eager to take revenge, into the rebel detachment.
[18] Gjon Markagjoni remained an authoritative figure in the Albanian political emigration and continued to lead the NNB, he died in Rome in 1966.
He fled the country in 1952, moving first to Yugoslavia, Italy and West Germany, and eventually settling in the United States, where he lived until 1992.
Albanian staunch Communists and a handful of leftists assess the organization as extremely reactionary, recalling “atrocious crimes, pointing out that even the “mountain canon” was violated - a traditional custom prohibiting the killing of women and relatives.
[20] Right-wing anti-communists take this side of committees reputation into account, although they classify the organization as a force of anti-totalitarian resistance and positively evaluate its leaders when examined individually.