Guy Delauney
Vulcan correspondent
BBC
More than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed by the Bosnian Serbian army in Slebrina in July 1995.
The silence is shattered by the screams of my throat. Groups of people are scrabbling on the ground and sifting through the soil. One of them holds the watch they revealed. Another sandal.
The scene on the stage at Sarajevo’s War Theatre is uncomfortably familiar to the audience of the world premiere of Srebrenica Flowers. The play reflects the harsh reality of events not only in July 1995, but also in decades of unresolved sadness and division in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Slebrenica massacre remains the most notorious war crime committed in Europe since World War II. The Bosnian army overruns Slebrenica in eastern Bosnia. There, thousands of Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, were evacuated, believing they were under the protection of the United Nations.
Instead, Dutch soldiers stood aside as General Bosnia Sark General Ratko Muradic directed the troops to take women and youngest children on the bus for transport to the majority area of Bosniak. Then the next day he oversaw about 8,000 systematic murders.
Chef Raisa
Many victims of the massacre were identified by their clothing, as depicted in the Slebrenica flower play
Muradic’s army abandoned the bodies in a large tomb. However, later, in order to hide their crimes, they dug out and reburied the bodies at multiple sites.
As a result, the body parts were distributed across multiple graves, causing endless anguish for the victim’s family. Many of them are still searching for the rest of their relatives decades later, but DNA testing has helped thousands of families buried their families in Potochari Cemetery, adjacent to the former UN base.
Others were able to identify body parts through scraps of clothing and personal belongings, as depicted in the Slebrenica flower scene.
The play also reflects the apparently deep division of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo’s audience offers standing ovations to the cast and crew, but in the majority of Serb Republika Srpska, political leaders repeatedly denies that the genocide took place in Slebrenica despite Muradic’s conviction in the International Courts of the Hague.
“When 30 years passed, we thought it would come to the senses,” says Selma Alispahitch, the lead actress at the Sarajevo War Theatre. Former refugee from the Bosnian conflict
Sarajevo War Theatre lead actress Selma Alispa Hitch was a former refugee from the Bosnian conflict
“People are tired of proving the truth, even in international courts, that has been proven many times. The story of hatred and spinning of facts only serves criminals who want to benefit from war and maintain their fortunes today.”
The denial of genocide is not the only symptom of the country’s division. The Dayton Peace Agreement put an end to the war just four months after the massacre. However, it also divided Bosnia and Herzegovina into two “entities” based on ethnic basis. Most Bosnians and Croatians live in the Commonwealth, while the majority of Serbs are in Srpska, the Republic.
There are also state-level governments with members of the presidency for each of the three major ethnic groups. However, most power lies at the entity level.
In recent months, the president of Republika Srpska has been exploiting it to play pranks. Milorado Dodik has promoted laws to withdraw from a number of national institutions, including the judiciary. This led to him in conflict with Bosnia’s ultimate power: international officials.
Christian Schmidt, the current holder of that position, has overridden the relevant laws. However, Dodik refused to accept these rulings.
Earlier this year, the court sentenced him to a six-year ban from a one-year prison and six-year public office for ignoring the decision of a high representative. The verdict is currently under appeal.
More shenanigans continue – including laws establishing “reserve police.” During the Bosnian conflict, the same term was used for murderous Serbian militias.
“It’s dangerous and I play around with the memories of people who went through the 1990s,” Schmidt said.
“I see the irresponsible part of the political class playing around with this, and there is a need for a clear presence of the international community at the military level. [the EU peacekeeping force] We promise to take more responsibility in our presence and be supported in a peaceful way. ”
International representatives of Bosnia Christian Schmidt say some politicians are acting irresponsibly
In the heart of Sarajevo, it is hard to miss a reminder of the anniversary of the Slebunika massacre. Hundreds of people were hanging out under their umbrella in the rain to pay tribute to the convoy carrying the ruins of the seven recently identified victims who will be buried in Potochari Cemetery during the memorial. Outside the city’s shopping centre, a video screen urges passersby to “remember Slebrenica.”
However, just 15 minutes on the road in East Sarajevo, there is no official mention of the massacre. Kirill’s script sign and Zelenbeer umbrella show that this is Republika srpska. And there is little enthusiasm for commemoration in the Entity Government building.
In fact, Staša Košarac, a state-level foreign trade minister who is a key member of Dodik’s social media party, claims that Srebrenica will be used to deepen the division and prevent reconciliation.
“In this country, Bosniaks, Croatians and Serbs were killed. And crime was committed in all three aspects. When thinking about the future, it is important that all perpetrators should be held responsible,” he says.
“Bosniak insists on talking only about the victims of Bosniak. The crime was committed in Slebrenica – Serbs have not denied that, but we have the right to point out crimes against Serbia around Slebrenica.”
However, thousands of other people are focusing on solidarity with Srebrenica. On the eve of the memorial, Memorial Centre and Potochari Cemetery were already busy with people’s respect. And they cheered on the arrival of a group of cyclists, runners and motorcyclists all over the country.
Milera Osmanovich works at the Slebrenica Memorial Centre and is deeply interested in the recent rise in ethnic tensions
Milera Osmanovich says this support is important for the Bosniaks who have returned to live in the area where their families have died. She was born two years after two brothers were murdered in Srebrenica and now worked at the Memorial Centre. However, recent tensions have made her rattle.
“The intense atmosphere created by the leaders of Republika Srpska really hinders us and makes us feel no longer protected.
“My parents say they look like they were 1992.”
For Milorado Dodik, manipulating a cycle of tension is just part of his strategy to maintain power. But for the people of Srebrenica, the ongoing ethnic political game only makes healing difficult.
