Reportage from Commemoration in Srebrenica

On July 11, in Potocari near Srebrenica, about 2,500 Bosniacs in the presence of the highest representatives of B&H and the international community, but no officials of Republika Srpska, observed the fifth anniversary of the tragedy of Srebrenica

AIM Banja Luka, July 12, 2000

>From early morning on July 11, the earth and the sky, within the diameter of some twenty kilometers around Srebrenica, were closely watched by 700 policemen of Republika Srpska and at least just as many members of infantry, motorised and helicopter units of SFOR and IPTF. Around ten o'clock, this police and military force in front of the battery factory in Potocari was joined by six water tank trucks, ten ambulances, and among various uniforms, ranks and vehicles, there were tens of crews of journalists of the best known world and "domestic" electronic and written media.

Then one by one, with their important titles, high officials of B&H and international community started to arrive to Potocari, to - as officially announced in Sarajevo and the office of mayor of Srebrenica Nesib Mandzic - "observe the fifth anniversary of the tragedy of Srebrenica": Ejup Ganic, Edhem Bicakcic, Ante Jelavic, Jacques Paul Kleine, High Representative for B&H Wolfgang Petrisch, American Ambassador Thomas Miller, and then French philosopher Bernard Levy unexpectedly appeared, numerous representatives of political life in B&H Federation... There were only no representatives of Republika Srpska... President of B&H Presidency Alija Izetbegovic was also expected, but most of all 45 announced buses from 15 towns of B&H Federation in which Muslims from Srebrenica nowadays live.

While waiting for Alija and former denizens of Srebrenica, we asked the people who live in this small town now, first, how they looked upon the whole affair and whether they would go to "welcome" the “returnees”. President of Srebrenica branch of Serb Democratic Party (SDS) Momcilo Cvjetinovic said that he did not know what "the Muslims were observing in Potocari". "Except for offering help to Muslim population during evacuation nothing else had happened there, least of all crimes. The Muslims, like the Serbs, were killed in the battle for Srebrenica. Except in combat, while running away through the forest they were also killed in mine-fields they themselves had planted, and many of their armed soldiers ran into our ambushes", says Cvetinovic, convinced that the Bosniacs were not coming to Potocari to somebody's graves, but that they were coming on a political mission.

"Since I saw them off when they were leaving Srebrenica, I might as well welcome them", said more seriously than jokingly one of the guests in front of the cultural centre in the centre of Srebrenica.

Across the street form battery factory in Potocari, among numerous armoured SFOR transporters, an approximately thirty-year old fire-engine from Bratunac is parked. Firemen, Serbs, are lying around in front of the truck and together with policemen of Republika Srpska are reproachingly watching a lady in American uniform who is turning the machinegun on top of her armoured vehicle turret towards them. "Oh, come on, go bake a pie!" one of the fireman sighed. To the question what he would do if fire broke out in the car in which Alija Izetbegovic was riding, the fireman first laughed and then seriously answered that he was paid to put out every fire.

While a red "Golf" with the Serbian flag on it was passing by and helicopters were roaring overhead, a group of Serb journalists sought an answer to the question how the money spent for making the arrival of the people from Srebrenica possible could have been used for a better cause. Somebody said: "The battery factory could have been reconstructed with it".

Around noon, buses with relatives of the killed and disappeared men from Srebrenica started to arrive. Obviously tired of tedious waiting to start on this trip and the long journey itself, the first thing many of them asked for after stepping out of 57 buses that had arrived was a glass of water... "I have lost two brothers, my brother-in-law, father-in-law, the total of seventeen members of my family, all men... I was here on this day in 1995. I did not see them actually kill anyone, but I heard the shots when six of our men darted towards the forest", says Semija Mustafic, who was born in Konjevica Polje and mentions "evil Chetniks", her thirty-day long flight through the woods...

Further away, while prime minister of B&H Federation Edhem Bicakcic was heartily shaking hands with American Ambassador Miller, two middle-aged men were heatedly discussing Alija's treachery “Listen, not one Chetnik leader left his people in the lurch like Alija left us in Srebrenica”. “What could he have done? Go up in a plane and jump with a parachute?” “He could have told the world to bomb Milosevic's Chetniks, to stop the evil!” “He asked them to, but they deceived him. They said they would strike at them, but they didn't! So shut up, I know that story. He betrayed us When I had survived all that, I first wished to kill Alija, then Radovan”

Sakib Efendic says that during the war he has lost his brother, his father, two nephews. After 36 days of roaming through the woods, he was arrested by Serb soldiers near Memici and then he spent five months in prison. “Many people have been killed in this war. For nothing. Nobody got anything I would gladly return here. There, my house is up there, but I didn't even go to see it”

While Sakib was talking, the horn was heard at the crossroads. “Alija is coming”, it was heard all over the place. “He came down in a helicopter. He did not dare pass by car through Konjevica polje”, one of the colleagues from Sarajevo said mockingly. Surrounded with three rows of bodyguards, almost inaccessible even for persistent photographers, Alija Izetbegovic appeared at the platform prepared for the commemoration. The only thing journalists could register was that there was no applause to be heard.

At precisely 13.40 , a traditional Muslim prayer started to commemorate the “victims of Srebrenica. “All those who have come here today, let them stand in line and in their own way do the last honours to those they have come for”, said Mustafa efendija Ceric, head of Muslim community in B&H, and informed those present about the program of prayers.

After that Mr. Ceric said in an “interesting” version of English language that the Bosniacs believed in peace, justice and freedom for every man, woman and child, and then he continued in his own tongue: “We are here to listen to those who called for help from the skies and the earth, the day and the night, the word and the power, that the sword be taken away from those who killed both when it was day and when it was night. Oh, God, we are here to face the truth about ourselves and about them. About ourselves so we will know who we are and what we are, about them, so we will know with whom they are and where they are. Here is the picture of a world in which the argument of violence of power wielders got the better of the argument of the right of the weaker to live. Oh, God, we beg you alone to take away the sword from the tyrants and to bestow on the weak the power of faith in the truth and justice. We beg you, God, that the sorrow be hope, that the punishment be justice, that a mother's tear be a reminder that Srebrenica never happen again to anyone”, prayed Mr. Ceric and at the end of 15-minute prayer informed the present that “it was all over” and called them to return to their buses.

Then they started on their way back and passed again through the streets of Bratunac where among couple hundred policemen and soldiers, a few Slovenians, members of SFOR were also guarding order. “Returnees” from Potocari were closely watched by a Serb – Cvjetin Gvozdenovic was watching if he would recognize someone. Cvjetin, leaning on a wooden fence, within sight of the “returnees” was also “watched” from a poster by his “only leader”, as he said – Draza Mihajlovic (leader of Chetnik movement in the Second World War).

After commemoration, representative of the head of the international mission in B&H, Chris Bird, said that there had been no incidents as feared, and mayor of Srebrenica, Nesib Mandzic explained why there had been no laying of the foundation stone for a memorial centre: “Serb councilmen in Srebrenica municipal assembly refused to give a lot for its construction”.

That very evening, the Serbs in Srebrenica observed – as they officially called it – “the fifth anniversary of the victory over Islamic fundamentalism”.

Zoran Tmusic

(AIM)

Entrefilet:

How “Protected Zone of Srebrenica” was Occupied

By decision of UN Security Council, on April 16, 1993, Srebrenica became a “protected zone” controlled by multinational forces. On July 6, 1995, members of the army of Republika Srpska, headed by general Ratko Mladic, launched the operation of “liberation” of Srebrenica. In the morning on June 11, after “salvation” from the sky – NATO airplanes – failed to appear, a part of the total of thirty odd thousand Bosniacs fled towards the surrounding forests, and a part of them went to the industrial zone in Potocari Around 16.30, Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica.

High Representative for B&H Wolfgang Petrisch:

“As a representative of the international community, I am quite aware that on that day, July 11, 1995, we failed the citizens of Srebrenica. The safety zone was everything but safe. That day was a disgrace for the international community. We have a permanent obligation to help the people from Srebrenica and B&H. But I nevertheless believe that the most lasting justice for the victims of Srebrenica would be the return of Bosniacs, of the families of the victims, to their homes in Srebrenica. This process has already started and I will do everything in my power to ensure safe continuation of return to Srebrenica and to enable the people to renew their lives”.

Balthasar Schtelling, Head of Mission of International Red Cross in B&H

“Srebrenica is impressed on our memories as a powerful symbol of collapse of the most fundamental human norms and rules. It is impossible not to wonder whether we have done everything we could in order to prevent this collapse of humaneness?”

Rasim Delic, war commander of the Army of B&H, to the question whether the Army of B&H could have saved Srebrenica:

“One thing should be said. We could not have lifted the blockade of Srebrenica militarily. Any even slightly trained military expert can confirm this. With our forces we could not have entered Srebrenica to prevent the tragedy. Much larger forces and by far better armed were needed for that, and we know that Mladic could get from Serbia all the armament and equipment he asked for. Of course, there is the question how engaged the people were in opening of the corridor. There were also mistakes when the command in Srebrenica is concerned. Obviously they could not control the situation. Communications were cut and we could not follow what was happening in the command of the Second Corp, where the units which were pulling out of Srebrenica were. It is certain that had the international community been engaged in preventing the tragedy, the same could have happened in Srebrenica as in Zepa: we have lost it, but we have saved the population. Despite the pain every man feels, we could not have done more to prevent the tragedy of Srebrenica”.

Minira Subasic, president of Association of Women of Srebrenica:

“It is very pitiful that five years have gone by and we still haven't found out anything about our dearest ones. The second thing that is also pitiful is that after five years we still need to ask that somebody protect and escort us to our Srebrenica and the third and the fourth thing is that we are not in our homes yet and that war criminals have not been caught yet”.

Rajko Vasic, minister of information in the government of RS:

“Srebrenica is without doubt the place of the crime and nobody in Republika Srpska could run away from that fact. This place and the victims certainly deserve to be duly respected, appreciated and remembered. However, time has not come yet to mark all similar places so that they would not be used for new conflicts, but for creation of an atmosphere of tolerance I don't know whether any of representatives of Republika Srpska have been officially invited to come to Potocari. I personally did not receive any invitation. If I had, perhaps I would have gone”.

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