The struggle that the minority regions of Delvinos and Himaras took on was unequal. Alone and helpless from everywhere, they had to hold back the furious united front of the two enemy armed forces, which were suffocatingly pressing the small northern Epirus forces and hammering them without mercy.

On one side the Greek Albanian EAM and Mallistes on the other. The other parts of Northern Epirus – Korçë – Gjirokastër, unfortunately, did not awaken quickly. They were unable to anticipate and secure control of their area and when the pressure of the EAM communists began, they had lost every opportunity to react and to stand up for their salvation that would have contributed more effectively to the common Northern Epirus struggle.

Now that the two regions of Delvinos and Himara managed to halt the spread of the Communist Party for about a year and a half, this must be attributed to the high and thriving morale of the residents and the great enthusiasm fueled by the pure patriotism of the lads of Riza and Vourkos, as well as that of Akrokeraunion.

In 1943, it was the greatest opportunity for the wretched Northern Epirus to stand completely and completely free. It could very well have decided definitively about its future. It is enough that these places fell into organizationally solid hands and that the EDES, the only hope and refuge in the entire area at that time, would grasp its issue more correctly and more courageously.

The excellent opportunity at the time was lost and I fear it was lost forever.

So all the above factors helped, some a little and some a lot, to surrender Northern Epirus to Albania once again. And to surrender unconditionally. Thus, the inertia and recklessness of our own and foreigners made the Albanians who resisted, without resistance, heroes. They wore the tiara that others offered them. And that is something.

From the book by Kostas N. Dedes Drymades – Himaras 1977