“Re-Separation”; Bosnian Citizens Face A Familiar Tumult

Years after the Dayton Peace Agreements promised an end to the Bosnian genocide in 1995, the war-torn country has struggled to find its footing. Now, a separatist movement is further dividing what little unity remains.

Even after facing the brunt of war twenty-six years ago, Bosnian civilians still face governmental instability. Living in the wake of war is not easy, especially when the separatist movement impedes Bosnia and Herzegovina from moving forward from their past.

“More than twenty-five years after the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is still an ethnically divided state. And it largely shapes all aspects of life. Not only are we still encountering the concept of ‘two schools under one roof,’ but there is also a lot of talk about the re-separation of the state,” says Amina Sejfic, Project Assistant at the Post-Conflict Research Center and Youth Correspondent to the multimedia platform, Balkan Diskurs.

The reality of the situation is, like the two schools under one roof, Serbs and Bosnians coexist in one country, in an ever-ending pursuit of living in peace.

Following widespread ethnic cleansing, the Dayton Peace Agreements promised an end to the Bosnian genocide in 1995. This agreement allowed for the war-torn country to become fragmented into parts of Republika Srpska, a second autonomous state in which Serbians live.

In violation of this agreement, Serbian President of BiH, Milorad Dodik, announced that the Republika Srpska entity would forcibly withdraw from key state institutions, one of which being the armed forces. Instead, exclusively Serb bodies would be implemented.

His insistence in dismantling the Dayton Peace Agreement continues to put Bosnians in a state of unease, the same state of agitation they felt twenty-six years ago.

“We have three presidents: one Croat, one Serb, and a Bosniak. It’s a dysfunctional system!” says Emira Džebo, a Bosnian civilian. “Dodik has been trying to make Republika Srpska Serbian territory, an effort he won’t give up. The Bosnian people have never had any peace under this unpatriotic presidency.”

The tripartite presidency has been deemed the most dysfunctional government in the world. The three presidents each represent a constituent nation: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia.

The country itself has two autonomous governments: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Parliaments of each entity have jurisdiction over their respective infrastructure concerning healthcare, education, agriculture, culture, labor, veteran issues, along with police and internal affairs.

The outgoing government and parliament have been especially ineffective, being regarded by experts as the worst government ever. Only 106 laws were adopted by parliament in the past four years, down from the 180 between 2006-2010. Over the same period, the Montenegrin government adopted 350 laws, Serbia 500, and Croatia approximately 750.

Sejfić explains, “The situation is not harmless. Leading politicians and the Republika Srpska government have for years been advocating the separation of their administrative unit, or the entity of Republika Srpska, from the rest of the country. That, with the glorification of war criminals, constant narratives filled with hatred, is worrying.”

The glorification of war criminals is confoundingly present in the country. The Srebrenica massacre of July 11, 1995, in which more than 8,372 Bosnians were killed, is especially underscored by those who refuse to concede to their wrongdoing.

“Although I was born after the war (1996), the consequences of that period are felt by both me and my generation. The war left behind large and deep wounds that have not yet healed, and [sic] which affect the overall situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Everyday life in Sarajevo is much different today than it was during the siege, but the situation is far from satisfactory. The wounds of war are ever-present,” Sejfić said.

(Photo courtesy of Salih Brkić)

The deaths resulting from the Bosnian genocide linger on beyond the graves of innocent civilians.

Nejra Džebo, a seventeen-year-old Sarajevan, explains the lengths to which these politicians will go to lie:

“To cover up their original crimes and the executions of civilians and prisoners of war, Bosnian Serb forces committed another crime – they tried to move the bodies to other locations. They used bulldozers and other heavy machinery to dig through a number of mass graves and move the bodies to other locations…they claim that the number of exaggerated deaths was created, ie. only about 2,000 people killed…it is the worst individual horror that occurred in the former Yugoslavia during the wars of the 1990s and the worst massacre that occurred in Europe after World War II,” Džebo said.

In 2014, nineteen years after the end of the war, throngs of civilians protested unjust working conditions after industries became privatized, workers were left bankrupt. Civilians demanded action regarding poor working conditions. Government buildings were set on fire; the cars of politicians were tipped into the canals of Zenica. And the unrest continues as Bosnian industries have struggled to find their footing amongst the separatist movement.

“The Separatists are taking away from regular civilians more than they know. When I saw Serb forces practicing in Sarajevo, as we did just a few days ago, I felt like I was back in the worst period of my life,” Džebo said. “Bosnians, whether we admit it or not, have long-standing trauma from what happened. And it disgusts me that Dodik can continue with this rhetoric, as though Bosnian civilians aren’t considered people anymore.”

According to a study conducted by mentalhealth.org.uk, refugees are more likely to experience poor mental health than the local population, having to grapple with PTSD and anxiety disorders. Research suggests that asylum seekers are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the general population; more than 61% will experience severe mental distress. Yet, data shows that refugees are less likely to receive support than the general population. “

Remembering Srebrenica UK Director, who requested to be referred to as “EK” describes, “I was a child when the war in BiH started in 1992. Along with my family, I survived the Trnopolje concentration camp. My childhood up until 1992 was carefree. It was full of childhood happiness and dreams. As a result of the war, I ended up being a refugee. All of those experiences have shaped me as a person, which is one of the reasons why I work closely with survivors in seeking truth and justice.”

Journalist Salih Brkić has documented the atrocities, continuing his career with the same pursuit: justice.

“After reporting as a TV reporter in 1991 from the battlefield in Croatia – the area of ​​Slavonia, and from 1992 until Dayton and the end of the war in 1995 from the battlefield in BiH, I continued, as a journalist and a man, to fight for justice. To seek justice for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica and other horrific crimes against Bosniaks, as well as their surviving family members, but also punishment for the perpetrators of genocide and other crimes throughout BiH….Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks the true love and sense of belonging to its homeland of a part of its citizens, who are influenced by politicians who do not want BiH in a peaceful state. This dominates in the RS [Republika Srpska] entity, but also among some Croats in the Federation of BiH entity. They are turning more towards Serbia and Croatia than towards their homeland, and that hurts me terribly. We have a beautiful country, from the sea and rivers to the plains and high mountains, wide enough for all the people who love it,” Brkić said.

According to EK, whose work revolves around Bosnia’s recent history and its current state, “the country lacks a constitution which would enable it to be a functional democracy able to join the EU and NATO. It also lacks a legal framework to address the denial of war crimes and genocide; meaning, a framework which would encompass social and educational aspects of the BiH society.”

“There is a lot missing in BiH,” adds Džebo, “but most of all there is a lack of smart and wise people. We don’t need a person to build apartments, roads; anyone can do that. We need a person who will build peace and love between states.”

“It is not easy being twenty-five, having dreams and plans for the future without knowing if they will ever come true because every day, you hear about the possibility of a new war. Even if a war does not happen, the economic and security situation is inherently bad. To put it simply – we lack everything. Everything that would help its people have a normal life – stable economic and political situation, equal human rights for all, security. At almost 60% percent… Bosnia-Herzegovina’s youth unemployment rate is the highest in the world, driven by widespread corruption, nepotism, and economic stagnation,” Džebo said.

Bosnia is also facing what is referred to as a “brain drain” – since 1999, approximately 150,000 young people have left the country in pursuit of more desirable (and accessible) job opportunities.

(Photo courtesy of Salih Brkić)

Bosnians gather around a cemetery.

Brkić, who’s been living in Tuzla all his life, explains “Together, by changing attitudes and consciousness, we must overcome this. When we achieve this by changing politicians and thinking, we will live nicely in the community. This is best illustrated by pictures from Sarajevo, an area in which churches, mosques, and synagogues are a few hundred meters distant from each other… Those photos clearly show what Bosnia and Herzegovina has been and remained as for centuries.”

Džebo puts it plainly: “Many say the war is over. The war is not over (in my opinion). The current situation in BiH is worse than the war itself. If we forget what happened twenty-six years ago, it will happen again.”