Podujevo (Подујево; Albanian: Besiana), is the name of a town, the center of a municipality, situated in north-east of the province of Serbia called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia). Podujevo is situated in Malo Kosovo, in a strategic position due to a regional motorway and railroad linking surrounding regions. Although there is no official data, the total population of the municipality is estimated at 130,000. Podujevo town population is estimated at 35,000.
The Albanian name of the town Besiana derives from the word "besa", and "ana" meaning region. Historically, people from region are know to resist foreign occupiers, and are known to keep their word, hence Besiana. The founding member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Zahir Pajazit, was from Podujevo region.
Recent history
On March 28 1999, 14 Kosovo Albanian women and children were murdered in a back garden in Podujevo by Serbian paramilitary from the notorious interior ministry unit the Scorpions. Five children were the sole survivors of the atrocity and four years later went to the Belgrade district court to testify against Sasa Cvjetan, a Serbian paramilitary. The court in Belgrade sentenced Sasa Cvjetan to 20 years in jail for his part in the killing of 7 women and 7 children.
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