Fabrice Dekoninck

On the night of July 11th, 1995, thousands of Bosniak men and boys fled through mountainous terrain in scorching heat, with little to no access to food, water, or medical aid. Many lost their lives due to Serb artillery fire and numerous ambushes. Others perished from exhaustion as they attempted to reach the safety of Bosnian free territory. Those who survived faced an arduous journey, with some wandering in the woods for several weeks before ultimately finding safety.

Luka canyon, October 2020.

Every July 13, during the annual commemoration at the Kravica warehouse execution site, Ramiza Gurdic, 69, holds a picture of her beloved son Mehrudin's school class. He was not yet 17 when he, along with her other son Mustafa, 20, and her husband Junuz, were executed.

Kravica, July 2021.

Sandici Meadow, one of the Srebrenica genocide detention sites where surrendered prisoners were gathered before their execution.

To this day, it is estimated that the remains of nearly 1,000 victims of the Srebrenica genocide have yet to be found. More than a quarter of a century after the genocide, every July 11th, the remains of the victims identified during the previous year are buried.

Former UN base in Potočari, July 2021.

Hill overlooking Srebrenica city center.

October 2020.

Abandoned home, Srebrenica city center.

Srebrenica, March 2021.

Communication displayed by Srebrenica's Serbian authorities at the entrance of the city just before Genocide commemorations of July. The figures presented are fanciful. For the Srebrenica region, only two Bosniaks were found guilty of war crimes by the courts in Sarajevo and were imprisoned. One died in custody, the other is still in jail. As regards to international justice, no Muslim has ever been convicted of war crimes in the Srebrenica region by the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICTY). The main accused, Naser Orić, has been released after his trial due to lack of evidence. According to "Bosanska knjiga mrtvih" by Mirsad Tokača, 387 Serbian civilians were killed in the Srebrenica region during the war, but the circumstances are not yet known. Such a narrative is part of the Serbian authorities' attempts to balance the crimes committed during the war between ethnic groups.

Srebrenica, June 2021.

On July 16th, 1995, soldiers of the Bosnian Serb army summarily executed around 500 men with automatic weapons inside the theatre of the village of Pilica. Families of the victims can only access the site once a year.

Pilica, October 2020.

Ahmed Hrustanovic was born in the small village of Miholjevine, 35 kilometers east of Srebrenica. He was six years old when the war erupted, and his village became a constant target of Serb shelling. In 1993, his family decided to flee their village and find shelter in Srebrenica, where 40,000 refugees had already found refuge. Soon after they arrived, a massacre took place on the school's playground, killing 74 people, most of them children. In April 93, Ahmed had no choice but to climb aboard a U.N. humanitarian convoy with his sister, his pregnant mother, and dozens of other women and children. His father Rifet, 29 years old at the time, was forced to remain with all the other men in the besieged city. That was the last time Hrustanovic saw his father. Ahmed's father, his two grandfathers, and all the men in his family, except for one uncle, were killed during the genocide, and their bodies were scattered in several mass graves. After completing his studies in theology, Ahmed returned to live in Srebrenica where he is now the second imam of the town's mosque. He has started a family and is now the father of five young children. However, life is difficult for Bosniak "returnees" who must face numerous episodes of discrimination and provocation from the Serb authorities, especially in Srebrenica. He confides "My life oscillates between fears and hope".

Konjevic-Polje, March 2021.

Ahmed takes his children to the destroyed village of his childhood, Miholjevine, lost in the mountains of Srebrenica. A moment of joy for the children, of deep sadness for him

Miholjevine, July 2020.

Petkovci dam, one of the five execution site of the Srebrenica genocide. The water of the lake is heavily polluted by nearby mining activities.

Petkovci, October 2020.

On July 13, 1995, Serb soldiers carried out a massacre at an agricultural warehouse in the village of Kravica, killing 1,314 detainees using automatic weapons, hand grenades, and other heavy weapons. Ahmed lost his father, two grandfathers, several cousins, and all of his uncles in the massacre. It is worth noting that the death toll may not be accurate as it includes victims from the Glogova mass grave who weren't executed in this place.

Kravica, October 2020.

Inside the Kravica warehouse. March 2021.

Ahmed, his brother Enis, and his cousin Mehdin are present at the reconstruction of Ahmed's father's skeleton in Potocari's memorial building. Ahmed later told me later it was the worst day of his life. New remains are frequently discovered through DNA testing, which leads to the re-exhumation of the initial remains for new forensic identification. After identification, a reburial ceremony is conducted under full Islamic rites, with family members, including children, attending. Families may undergo this traumatic process numerous times before their loved one's entire body is eventually buried.

Former UN base in Potočari, July 2021.

Enis, Ahmed's brother, looks at the Missing Persons Institute (MPI) identification documents. He never knew his father as he was born right after the children and women of the family were evacuated from Srebrenica in March 1993.

Lukavac, March 2021.

Under the compassionate eyes of the family's children, Enis is overwhelmed by his sadness near the freshly reopened grave of his father, just before the forensic reconstruction of the skeleton and the upcoming reburial. 

Potocari cemetery, July 2021.

Ahmed meditates at his father's grave, which has just been reopened to allow for forensic reconstruction of the skeleton and upcoming reburial.

Potocari cemetery, July 2021.

Under strict police surveillance, July 13 is the only day that the "mothers of Srebrenica" can pay tribute to their male relatives and visit the places where they were executed.

"White House" detention and execution site. Potocari, July 2020.

11th of July 2020 in Srebrenica-Potocari.

In 1992, the village of Bratunac, which had a majority Bosniak population, was ethnically cleansed. Starting in 1992, hundreds of Bosniaks were killed or forcibly expelled. Before the fall of Srebrenica, the area had become a central location for Serbian military and police forces in their attempts to take control of nearby Srebrenica. After it falls, thousands of prisoners were detained in various locations in Bratunac, including Vuc Karadzic school, the « technical school » and the football field, before being transferred to execution sites located further north in Zvornik area. Dozens were subjected to torture and executions.

Bratunac city center, March 2021.

Saliha Osmanovic lives alone in the same village she had to flee with her family during the war. She lost her two children and her husband in July 1995. She attended several court hearings and testified at the trial against the Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic.

Dobrak, October 2020.

Mujo Pasic is a survivor of the genocide. In 1993, he was evacuated by helicopter to Tuzla following a shrapnel wound and was never allowed to return to the besieged city. His children, aged 15 and 17, were executed in July 1995 on the outskirts of Srebrenica. Today, he spends most of his time alone in his log cabin on the mountain above the town.

Srebrenica, October 2020.

Surrounded by beautiful nature, the city center of Srebrenica has many ruined buildings. The bombardment of the city during the siege is not the only reason to explain such a state of decomposition. Many houses were also burned down after the war, to dissuade returnees from relocating to the city.

Srebrenica, October 2020.

During the war, Ramiz Cardakovic was part of a squad infiltrated behind Serbian lines. A group of foresters from the village of Stoborani escorting refugees from Žepa to Tuzla, a dangerous 120 km journey through the snow-capped mountains. Together they saved the lives of nearly 400 refugees.

Stoborani, March 2021.

Muhamed Avdic was a young boy when he was forced to flee Srebrenica in 1993. In July 1995, his father attempted to cross the Drina River into Serbia but was captured and later handed over to the Bosnian Serb authorities. The exchange of prisoners between the Serb and Bosnian Serb police took place on the Bratunac bridge over the Drina. Unfortunately, his father's body has never been found. Years later, Muhamed mustered the courage to visit the Bosnian Serb policeman who had seen his father for the last time in Bratunac. The retired policeman decided to remain silent, leaving Muhamed with unanswered questions and deep emotional wounds.

Bratunac bridge, October 2020.

Hasan Nuhanovic is a Bosniak survivor of the Srebrenica genocide. Following the destruction of his native village of Stoborani, Hasan and his family sought refuge in the enclave of Srebrenica. In 1995, he worked as an interpreter for the Dutch UN peacekeeping force stationed in Srebrenica. In July of that year, Bosnian Serb forces killed Hasan's entire family, including his mother, father, and younger brother. Hasan sued the Dutch government in the Netherlands for its failure to protect his family, who had taken shelter in the UN base. In 2013, the Dutch Supreme Court held the Dutch state responsible for the deaths of three Bosniak men, including Hasan's father and brother, who were killed after being expelled from the Dutch UN base. The court found that the Dutch peacekeepers had failed in their duty of care to protect them and that the Dutch state was liable for their deaths. However, the ruling was limited to the specific circumstances of Hasan's family during the Srebrenica massacre and did not address broader issues. The court did not hold the Dutch state responsible for the broader failure of the UN peacekeeping mission in Srebrenica, which has been widely criticized for its inability to prevent the massacre. Hasan's tragic story was adapted for the cinema by Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić in her film "Quo Vadis, Aida?".

Stoborani, May 2022.

After the death of his father killed in a bombardment, Muhizin Omerović "Dzile" finds himself alone in Srebrenica, where he will be engaged in the defense of the city. On July 11, he walked at the head of the column which tried to flee through the woods. Among the first, he could have reached Tuzla in two days of walking. But he decided to stay with the injured, and vowed to save the life of Mirza, a 14-year-old teenager, who had found himself alone in the surrounding chaos. For two months, without any food, hunted daily by Serb soldiers and their dogs, together they managed to reach the free territory of Tuzla. After a long exile, Dzile and his family returned to the vicinity of Srebrenica, where he now works at the town hall. Dzile is a peace activist and strong supporter of Bosnian language and culture, far from religious divisions.

Srebrenica, October 2020.

Recent earthworks have uncovered some remains of Almasa Salihović's former family home in the mountains south of Srebrenica. Almasa was only 8 years old when Srebrenica fell. Her 15-year-old brother was killed by Bosnian Serb soldiers. She now works at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

Skejici, March 2021.

I had the opportunity to meet Almir Muratović in Srebrenica during the preparations for the annual commemoration of the genocide. Almir is a former soldier who served in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia. Like many veterans, he is reluctant to share his wartime memories. His story is that of a young man whose best years were stolen by the conflict. At the age of 20, he joined the army and fought for four years before coming out alive but not unscathed. At the beginning of the war, he was part of a unit of 500 young soldiers who were equipped with only 12 rifles and 8 pistols, yet they went into battle against the well-equipped Croatian army. Almir rarely speaks about the suffering and anguish of the battles around Vitez, which often involved almost hand-to-hand combat. He was once captured and held captive for 24 hours, a traumatic experience which still haunts him. Following the war, he continued to serve in the Bosnian army, where he is currently in charge of young soldiers. They are certainly not aware of the hardships and struggles that Almir faced during the war, let alone the nightmares that fill his nights.

Zenica, September 2022.

Nedžad Avdić is one of the few survivors of the mass executions of the Srebrenica Genocide. He was only 17 years old at the time. After the enclave fell, his father, uncle, and he joined the column of thousands of Bosniak men and boys who were trying to flee through the woods, under constant Serbian artillery bombardment. In the chaos, after losing his father, he joined a group of fugitives who, during their flee, decided to surrender to the Serbs. He was held prisoner in inhumane conditions before finally being transferred from Bratunac to the Petkovci site on the evening of July 14th. The prisoners were then taken to a rocky field below the dam, ordered to line up in rows of five, and shot at close range by automatic weapons bursts. Nedžad miraculously survived, helped by another uninjured prisoner, they managed to leave the execution site and wandered in the woods for several days before successfully reaching Tuzla’s free territory. He will be a key witness in several Hague trials. In 2007, he decided to return to live in Srebrenica, where he started a family that he raises in peace, far from any sense of revenge. Nedžad has also become a fervent activist for truth, justice, and peace. He recently wrote a book about his own experience titled "The Hague Witness ».

Petkovci dam, October 2020.

Petkovci was one of the five main execution site where more than 1.000 prisoners were executed in a rocky field below the dam.

Petkovci, October 2020.

Drago is an 84-year-old Serbian resident of the village of Petkovci. During the war, he was a truck driver. We chatted for a moment, in a friendly way. But, in a village marked by the crimes of the genocide, it is not common to see a Serbian resident interacting with foreigners. Our conversation quickly attracted attention. A neighbor came to sit on the bench right next to him. From then on, Drago remained silent, even distant.

Petkovci village, March 2021.

On the day that Serbian forces entered Srebrenica, on July 11, 1995, in the evening, two important meetings were held at the Hotel Fontana in nearby Bratunac. The third in this series of related meetings, all focusing mainly on the refugees clustered around the Dutchbat base in Potočari, was held on the following day, July 12.

Bratunac, March 2021.

Orthodox church built illegally after the war on the land of 78-year-old Fata Orlovic, "Nana Fata". After 20 years of long legal proceedings, including before the European Court of Human Rights, she finally succeeded in having the building demolished in June 2021.

Konjevic-Polje, March 2021.

Intersection road that thousands of Srebrenica refugees had to flee through during the  "death march" was constantly shelled as they risked their lives. Konjevic-Polje, March 2021.

Fahrudin Muminović was 7 when he was taken with his father to the execution site of Orahovac on July 14th, 1995. He was wounded by a burst of automatic weapon fire but miraculously survived, unlike his dad, with his father's corpse lying beneath him. Soon after, in shock, he rose to his feet in tears, crying out: 'Dad, Dad, where are you?' The squad leader ordered the soldiers to 'finish him.' All refused. As the officer was about to shoot the boy himself, a Serbian military doctor offered to drive the boy back to the detention center, claiming another unit would complete the sinister task. Everyone agreed, relieved, yet they were unaware of the doctor’s true intentions. He drove the boy to Zvornik’s hospital, where he received treatment and was later handed over to the Red Cross. Today, at the age of 35, Fahrudin suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. As for the doctor, after the war, he courageously decided to testify anonymously against the criminals at the ICTY in The Hague, where all the criminals received heavy sentences. However, his name was easily guessed, which sadly led to his rejection by his own children, who considered him a traitor. He lived in sickness and poverty until he died alone in Serbia. Vicinity of Srebrenica. October 2020

Fahrudin Muminovic was a child when he survived the mass execution in Orahovac. He was saved by a Serb military doctor who handed him over to the Red Cross hospital in Zvornik, where he received treatment for his wounds. He now lives alone near the home of his uncle and aunt. His uncle, also a survivor, appears lost in thought while recounting the tragic story of his family.

Execution site "Lazete 1" in the village of Orahovac. On the left, a path passes under the railway, leading to the initial execution site, "Lazete 2". During our first meeting, Jean-René Ruez, former head of the investigation group at the ICTY Prosecutor's Office, mentioned his interview with one of the survivors from Orahovac in early August 1995. In his testimony, this witness explained that "when the first field (Lazete 2) was 'filled with corpses,' Serbian soldiers resumed executions in this second field below." This testimony shifted the investigation into an entirely different dimension: it confirmed the systematic execution of several hundred prisoners who, until then, had only been considered missing. October 2020.

Detention site at the Grbavci school in Orahovac, where several hundred prisoners were gathered on the evening of July 13th and throughout the day on July 14th before being transported in small groups to execution sites, which were located 800 meters away. I met Aid and Enis, two students attending this school. They offered to connect me with the Serb school director, but he refused to meet with me. The same scenario unfolded in all genocide-related schools I visited: Vuč Karažić school in Bratunac, Petkovci School, and Kula School in Pilica—where the director even went as far as calling the police. October 2020.

In 1995, Gerry Kremer was the Dutch surgeon of the UN base in Potocari. On July 10th, he refused the order to lock himself up with his team in the base's bunker and wait until everything was over. Instead, he disobeyed and left alone to treat the wounded, saving many lives in the surrounding chaos. Even today, he remains deeply angry with his own government.

Potocari, July 2021.

Murals painted by Dutch soldiers in the former UN base of Srebrenica-Potočari. October 2020.

Birmingham, October 2022.
At the age of 21, Cédric Pulcian embarked on a career in the French army in 1992 with the purpose of serving his country. He was incorporated into the army in October 1994 and volunteered in January 1995 to join a summer tour in the UN peacekeeping force. On July 7, 1995, he was posted to Kakanj, where his unit received instructions to prepare for the extraction of thousands of refugees from Srebrenica. Despite repeatedly inquiring about when the mission would commence, Cédric's unit never received the order to proceed. Despondent, he waited for what he knew would be a genocide. The days following the news left him so distraught that he removed his military insignia and burned it on the eve of Bastille day. Three weeks later, he joined the supply convoy travelling to Split. On its return, the convoy arrived at a hamlet that had been attacked during the week. A group of children ran down the hill and approached the UNPROFOR vehicles, imploring the soldiers for assistance. However, the radio command was to refrain from offering help and proceed to the HVO checkpoint. Cédric's detachment left Bosnia in October 1995. Disillusioned with his military experience in Bosnia, he quit the French army a few months later. Following several jobs in Paris, he relocated to Birmingham, UK, where he established a family and currently works in elderly care. However, Cédric continues to grapple with serious episodes of post-traumatic stress, accompanied by an acute sense of guilt and anxiety, for which he has never received any medical assistance from the French army.

Birmingham, October 2022.

Jean-René Ruez is a French police chief superintendent who, from 1995 to 2001, served as the former investigation team leader at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He played a crucial role in gathering evidence and conducting interviews with witnesses and survivors and was himself in the field conducting the first interviews at the end of July 1995. He never stopped being involved since then, facing countless difficulties in his work of collecting evidence and testimonies, mainly due to Republika Srpska's lack of cooperation. Ultimately, the investigative unit's work led to establishing the facts of what happened at Srebrenica and allowed for the successful building of cases against those who ordered and conducted the genocide. His personal testimony was also instrumental in the trials of several Bosnian Serb military and political leaders, including Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, both found guilty of genocide and other crimes against humanity. Even today, Srebrenica still occupies an important place in his life. He considers that justice has been done in relation to the initial mandate of the ICTY, the so-called "big fish" policy.

Chambéry, France, July 2022.

Jugoslav was 92 years old at the time of our meeting. He lives in a small village between Srebrenica and Zvornik, the town near which most of the genocide executions took place. He invited me to have a drink as I passed his house. We had a pleasant and very friendly conversation, although he systematically avoided the war and the genocide during our conversation.

Drinjaca, October 2020.

Sign installed at the entrance of the hometown of Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army. He was found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Kalinovik, Republika Srpska. April 2023.

Satko Mujagić is a human rights activist and survivor of the Omarska concentration camp. He grew up in a Bosniak-majority town where ethnicity and religion were not an issue. However, discrimination began after he graduated from high school. He was called up for military service at the end of 1990 and sent to fight in Croatia, where he realized he was on the wrong side of history. He deserted and returned to Kozarac to find his family, witnessing the ethnic cleansing of the Prijedor region and the destruction of his village. Satko was detained for over two months in the infamous Omarska camp, where he witnessed daily war crimes and torture of Bosnian civilians. British journalists exposed the camp system, which led to his release. He and his family found refuge in the Netherlands, where he studied law and obtained a master's degree. Satko has been involved in post-war Bosnian society, especially in truth, justice, and reconciliation, which often triggers past traumas and leads to depression.

Kozarac, July 2021.

The production activities of the ArcelorMittal mining complex were resumed after the war.It currently employs hundreds of people. However, the site's troubled history as a place of detention and atrocities during the war has led to heated debates about the use of the mine for economic activities.

Omarska, April 2022.

Access to the former concentration camp in Omarska is currently blocked without permission from Arcelor Mittal, the operator. While conducting research, I found a ruined hamlet near the mine site, which provided a view of the detention camp buildings. When I revisited the area in September 2022, I found that the road leading to the hamlet had been quickly condemned and turned into a garbage dump.

Omarska, July 2021.

Ed Vulliamy is a British journalist, notably working for the British newspaper The Guardian, who covered numerous conflicts in the 1990s, including conflicts in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Iraq. In August 1992, alongside British television journalists Penny Marshall and Ian Williams of the Independent Television News (ITN) channel, he successfully gained access to the Omarska and Trnopolje concentration camps. The disclosure to the public of the existence of the concentration camp system established by the Serbs in the Prijedor region saved many lives, including that of Satko Mujagić. Ed Vulliamy remained in Bosnia throughout the entire duration of the war, tirelessly documenting the crimes of ethnic cleansing and the siege of Sarajevo. After the war, he became the first journalist since the Nuremberg trials to testify before an international criminal tribunal, participating as a prosecution witness in ten trials before the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), including those of the Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić. July 2021

Despite my multiple attempts to establish contact with the residents of Omarska, their reception was cold and guarded, suggesting that my presence was viewed as a provocation. However, what struck me the most was the feeling of profound desolation that seems to permeate the entire town, as if it's struggling to exist under the haunting shadow of the atrocities that took place here in 1992.

Omarska city center, April 2022.

Banks of the Sana river.
Prijedor. February 2022.

Darko Cvijetić is a Bosnian-Serb poet, director and writer, author of the novel "Schindler Lift". He depicts the disappearance of a once peaceful way of life through the stories of the inhabitants of a multi-ethnic residential building in Prijedor. Against the backdrop of ethnic cleansing and based on a real event - the accidental decapitation of a young girl through the lift door of the building - he depicts the violence and hatred that took hold of the inhabitants of the town of Prijedor during the war.

Prijedor, April 2022.

Residential building "Red Solitaire 101" in Prijedor, the main subject of the book "Shindler Lift" by the Bosnian Serb writer Darko Cvijetić.

Prijedor, April 2022.

During the ethnic cleansing in Prijedor, Azra Muranovic was five years old. Her family hid in their home out of fear of Serbian soldiers. One day, Azra heard soldiers planning to execute everyone in the house. A few days later, the soldiers took Azra's family prisoner and lined up her father and grandfather for execution. Their neighbor and family friend, Sveto, rushed in and interposed himself between the soldiers and the prisoners. He convinced the soldiers that Azra's family was not terrorists and even offered to let them search his house for weapons. Thanks to Sveto's bravery and quick thinking, Azra and her family were saved from certain death. Afterward, Sveto and his family welcomed Azra's family into their home, offering their own bed for the children to sleep in. After the family has managed to escape Bosnia, a Serbian refugee family moved into their home, and stayed there illegally until 2004 when they will finally be evicted. Before leaving, they engaged in destructive behavior, attempting to take anything of value from the property, such as tiles, pipes, and electrical sockets. They also turned on all the water taps before leaving. Fortunately, Azra's neighbor Sveto stepped in to help save the house from further damage. Azra and her family will always be grateful for Sveto's kindness and courage.

Prijedor, July 2021.

Sveto, the Serb neighbor of Azra's family during the ethnic cleansing of the city, who saved the lives of her entire family.

Prijedor, July 2021.

Football is a beloved sport in Bosnia. In Kozarac, a predominantly Bosniak village, the junior team competes against their counterparts from nearby Omarska, which is predominantly Serb. The match is held by the ruins of an unreconstructed elementary school, serving as a poignant reminder of the war's lingering memories.

Kozarac, July 2021.

Keraterm was a concentration camp located near the town of Prijedor in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995. The camp was established by Bosnian Serb forces in May 1992 and was in operation until August 1992. It was one of several concentration camps set up by Bosnian Serb forces as part of their campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Serb civilians in the region. The detainees at Keraterm were primarily Bosniak and Croat civilians, who were subjected to inhumane and brutal conditions, including torture, sexual assault, and murder.

Prijedor, July 2021.

After the Bosnian War, most civilian victims did not receive full financial compensation. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ordered reparations for war crimes victims, but the process has been slow and incomplete. A law was established to compensate victims of war crimes, but it is often inadequate and not distributed to all eligible victims. As a result, most civilian victims have not yet been fully compensated.

The war in Bosnia had disastrous consequences for the religious heritage of the region. Religious buildings were targeted by all parties involved in the conflict, with over 3,290 religious buildings destroyed or damaged during the war. However, the Muslim community was the most affected, with the destruction of 614 mosques and damage to 307 others. Many historic mosques were destroyed, some dating back several centuries. The destruction of religious heritage had profound consequences for the religious communities of the region, who saw their cultural and spiritual heritage destroyed. The reconstruction of damaged religious buildings has been slow and difficult, in large part due to the lack of funding and the political complexity of the region.

Kevljani, July 2021.

Upon entering Kozarac and its surroundings, one is struck by a feeling of calm and emptiness. Countless elegant villas remain empty for much of the year. These are the residences of members of the Bosniak diaspora. Local residents claim to have learned to identify the owners of these homes: the ground floors are often occupied by "Swedes and Norwegians", while "Austrians" and "Swiss" typically opt for chalets with two or more stories.

Kevljani, September 2022.

In July, the city of Kozarac is crowded with thousands of Bosniak visitors from the global diaspora, those who managed to escape and those who survived the massacres of 1992. Thousands of visitors who come as on a pilgrimage to visit their family or quite simply to reconnect with their pre-war memories.

Kozarac, July 2021.

Serif Velic, a former survivor of the Omarska concentration camp, returned to his native village of Kevljani in 2001 to find his home destroyed along with most Bosniak houses in the Prijedor municipality. He collected the rubble from his house and built a mausoleum in memory of his past. The memorial plaque reads: "Built in 1974 and demolished in 1992. Built by love, destroyed by hate

Kevljani, September 2022.

Ervin Blažević « Svabo » was 18 years old in May 1992 when he witnessed the destruction of his hometown of Kozarac. He surrendered to the Serbs soldiers and was interned in the concentration camp of Trnopolje, from which he managed to escape by lying about his age and slipping onto a refugee bus. At the time, he weighed only 43 kilograms... Evacuated to Croatia, he unexpectedly decided to join the Bosnian army and was later seriously injured by stepping on a mine. He returned to the front, this time as a cameraman. After the war, he later became one of the very first 'returnees' to come back to live in Kozarac, where he rebuilt his house. He has since founded his own NGO and is very involved in various projects related to peace, reconciliation, and memory.

Omarska to Tomasica road, September 2022.

Trnopolje was a concentration camp located in the municipality of Prijedor. It was set up by the Bosnian Serb forces in 1992 as part of their campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Serb civilians in the region. The detainees were primarily Bosniaks and Croats, who were subjected to inhumane and brutal conditions, including torture, sexual assault, and murder. The prisoners were also subjected to hunger, thirst, and diseases. The camp was the site of serious violations of human rights and war crimes. After the war, a monument to the memory of the fallen Serb soldiers was erected, right at the entrance of the camp

Trnopolje, September 2022.

Every night during the time Omarska camp was operating, trucks carrying dead bodies used the dusty track that connects the camp to the nearby village of Tomašica. It was later discovered that Tomašica is the site of the largest mass grave from the Bosnian war and the ethnical cleansing of the Prijedor region in 2013. Tomašica mass grave, which was discovered in 2013, contained the remains of over 600 people, mostly Bosniak civilians. Notably, the grave was located near a Bosnian Serb hamlet whose residents persistently denied its existence, despite it being less than 150 meters away and that trucks carrying bodies to the grave passed by their houses each morning.

Tomašica, June 2021.

10 years after it was uncovered, the former site of Tomašica mass grave has been transformed into a beautiful natural setting, as if nature attempted to cleanse the madness and hatred that once plagued the area, making way for beauty and serving as a touching tribute to the victims.

Tomašica, June 2021.

Many young Bosnians feel disillusioned with the slow pace of reforms and the persistent ethnic divisions that continue to hinder the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to various reports, around 30,000 people leave the country each year in search of better opportunities and more stable living conditions.

Dobrinja, Sarajevo, March 2021.

Sarajevo's Stup neighborhood was partially destroyed during the war as it was located on the frontline.

Stup, Sarajevo, February 2020.

Sarajevo's Dobrinja neighborhood in Sarajevo was one of the most affected during the siege of the city. Even today, the scars of the war remain visible.

Sarajevo, February 2020.

Jovan Divjak was a senior military officer who devoted his life to protecting the multi-ethnic and multicultural character of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was born in Belgrade in 1937 to a Bosnian Serb father and a Serb mother from Vojvodina. After being assigned to Tito's Military Guard in 1961 and studying at the French Military Academy in Paris for two years, he later became the Commander of the District Headquarters of the Territorial Defense in Sarajevo, where he oversaw Sarajevo and the surrounding areas. When the war broke out, he decided to join the The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( ArBiH) instead of obeying the order to join the VRS (Bosnian Serb army). As the Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he played a crucial role in organizing the defense of Sarajevo, where he became a legend among soldiers and civilians. He was popular among the civilian population, particularly women and children, whom he kept helping and supporting during the war. Despite the war, he never stopped fighting against ethno-nationalism and corruption, which threatened the newly established state. In 1994, he founded the Association "Education Builds Bosnia and Herzegovina" to help war-affected children, regardless of their ethnicity. Jovan Divjak continued to be involved in his association until the end of his life and lived modestly in his small officer's apartment. He refused any form of personal enrichment or privilege to which his status as a national hero could have entitled him. He passed away in 2021, leaving behind a legacy of fraternity and humanity.

Sarajevo, October 2020.

Funeral of Jovan Divjak.

Sarajevo, April 13, 2021.

Mural in Sarajevo in memory of Jovan Divjak.

April 2022.

Aida Hasovic is one of the many war children whose education was fully supported by Jovan Divjak's association, 'Education Builds Bosnia-Herzegovina'. Recently graduated in language and literature from the University of Sarajevo, she now works as a professor in Sarajevo. Aida was very close to Jovan. Today, in addition to her job, she is heavily involved in the association.

Sarajevo, December 2021.

Nicolas Moll is a Franco-German historian specialized in working on the history and memories of post-war societies. Born in 1965 and coming from a Franco-German family that fortunately did not have to personally suffer from the troubles of the Second World war, he grew up in a period when relations between France and Germany were becoming increasingly close. In this context, peace and reconciliation seemed almost something natural to him. But this changed completely after his first trip to Kosovo and to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001/2. Here, the traces and consequences of war and violence were omnipresent, and he became aware how complex and difficult it is for societies and ordinary people "to get out of the war". Passionate about these issues and wishing to discover more the post-Yugoslav space about which he knew so little, Nicolas moved to Sarajevo in 2007. Since then, he has been working with different NGOs, victim associations and cultural institutions, and developed his research about how post-war societies are facing (or not) their violent past and trying to build lasting peace. While he is aware of the enormous difficulties Bosnia-and Herzegovina continues to have in building a genuine and lasting peace (especially the total absence of political will, a main difference in comparison to France and Germany in the 1960s), he sees also hopeful signs on the level of civil society and in the cultural field. Here, despite all disillusionments, there were and are many courageous and original initiatives, such as the fantastic work of non-governmental organizations like the "Centre for Nonviolent Action" (CNA), which helps war veterans to face their traumatic past by promoting dialogue and confidence-building through the mutual recognition of war suffering among the former soldiers.

Sarajevo, December 2021.

Nihad Kreševljaković is the director of the International Theatre Festival MESS in Sarajevo. He is a historian from a family of historians, including his father who was also the mayor of Sarajevo during the siege of the city. Along with his brother Sead and their friend Nedim, he co-authored the documentary "Do you remember Sarajevo", a film about the daily lives of the besieged inhabitants of Sarajevo, filmed by the residents themselves. Nihad Kreševljaković is the winner of the Kairos Prize in 2017, an important European cultural award awarded by the German Alfred Toepfer Foundation to European artists and scholars working in the fields of fine and theatrical arts, music, architecture, design, film, photography, literature, and journalism. Nihad was 18 years old when the war broke out. He did not suffer the loss or injury of a loved one, and despite the context of violence and deprivation, he nostalgically remembers the years of war because they were characterized by a proliferation of artistic and cultural events. Art, and theater in particular, had become a means of existential survival for the citizens of Sarajevo during the siege. This is how he conceived the Memory Module in 1996, a cultural project that addresses the past and its consequences through art, often in a subversive way. The program covers literature, cinema, theater, fine arts, photography, and new art forms. Through art in general, the project seeks to stimulate public debate around universal questions: how to explain the persistence of war in a society of constant progress? What are the links between ethics and aesthetics in art? The project also aims to preserve the memory of Bosnia and Herzegovina's past during the war, recognizing the cultural and artistic values that emerged during the siege of Sarajevo.

Sarajevo, December 2021.

Guillaume Ancel, a former senior officer of the French army, arrived in Sarajevo in January 1995 with a battalion of the French Foreign Legion, specializing in ground guidance for air strikes. During his stay in Sarajevo, he witnessed the deliberate inaction of the UNPROFOR high command, predominantly French, in employing force against Serb forces that persisted in bombing the Bosnian capital despite resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council. Paris. August 2022.

Elma Hašimbegović is a historian and the director of the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She grew up in Sarajevo and was forced to leave her country when war broke out in 1992. After completing her studies, she returned to Sarajevo in 1994 and began working at the museum in 2001. Elma took the initiative to redesign and improve the permanent historical exhibition of Sarajevo under siege, transforming it into an open platform for dialogue. This unique work pays tribute to the resilience of citizens and the cultural resistance they demonstrated while living in the besieged city, cut off from the rest of the world. Elma's own experiences of the war naturally influence her work, drawing inspiration and energy from them to face daily challenges. Despite the political climate that drives many young people to leave, she finds hope in the youth of Sarajevo, intelligent and well-educated young people who have decided to stay and contribute to building a better future for their country.

Sarajevo, December 2021.

Amer Delić experienced the violence of combat in the Bosnian army. Like many soldiers, he had to face many war traumas. Today, he is an activist for peace and reconciliation. He is part of the Centre for Nonviolent Action (CNA), an NGO based in Sarajevo that works towards reconciliation by working on mutual recognition of pain and grief by ex-combatants of different ethnic backgrounds.

Sarajevo, April 2022.

Ernada Alibegovic comes from a Bosnian mixed marriage. When the war began, she and her mother had to remain hidden at home for two months until their Serbian neighbor helped them leave immediately, guiding them through checkpoints to Sarajevo. The two women found shelter in the home of Nada's director, Ahmed, who had made the decision to flee to Split, Croatia, in the early days of the war. However, Nada was unaware that Split had become the meeting place for Western journalists attempting to reach Sarajevo. Shortly after Ahmed's arrival in Split, he encountered a young French war correspondent, Philippe Simon, to whom he had also offered his house. This encounter sparked a remarkable connection and an unexpected cohabitation, resulting in a story brimming with brotherhood and humanity. Throughout the war, Philippe stayed with Nada and Mama in their home in Breka, tirelessly making trips between Sarajevo, Paris, and Split to ensure the two women lacked nothing. As a nightly ritual, Nada greeted Philippe outside the house, sitting on the steps of the staircase while he removed his boots, and she would ask, "Philippe, what's new in the city?" Amidst the suffering of war, Ernada recalls this period as one of the happiest in her life. With a hand on her heart, she expresses, "Philippe saved my life." In his book 'Les éclats de la guerre,' Philippe depicts Ernada and Mama's unwavering determination to resist. Despite the chaos and destruction unfolding outside, they maintained their humanity, fostering warmth, kindness, and family values within their home—a beacon of hope in a faltering world. After the war, Ernada returned to live in an apartment in Vogošća. She shares her life with Neven, her Serbian companion of many years.

Vogošća, September 2022.

Renka Žunić is one of the first "war babies," who grew up under the bombs. Her father was the last victim of the Markale market massacre, which killed 68 people on February 5, 1994. For more than four years, the family lived in the basement of the City Market in Sarajevo. As a child, she faced suspicion from others because of her first name, which cannot be associated with any ethnic group. Renka studied journalism in Sarajevo. After a few assignments, she met Jovan Divjak and his NGO "Education Builds Bosnia and Herzegovina". She became a humanitarian project manager, taking particular care of children from the Roma minority, who are still highly discriminated against in Bosnia today. Renka has developed a very accurate vision of the current state of Bosnian society. "It's a wonderful little country with a good system, which is not run by good people; actually, it's a misused system... How do we raise children in a stable and reassuring way in a country that, for 30 years, has lived in the memory of the last war and in the anguish of a new one? ».

Sarajevo, December 2021.

Ajna Jusić, 28, is a Sarajevo based activist and feminist, founder and president of the association FCW “Forgotten Children of War”. Being herself born out of a war rape, Ajna has helped to change the law in Bosnia and Herzegovina by campaigning for the rights of children born of wartime rape. FCW's goal is to make children born out of war rape visible in Bosnia's legal system and in society in general. FCW members use art exhibitions, music, and theater performances to raise awareness of the existence of children born out of rape, and advocate for laws to support them. Ajna believes that this is not just a law to fit their needs but also a prevention law to remind people in the future that rape must be stopped. The association also works on peace building and promoting respect and understanding for different traditions and religions in Bosnia. 

Sarajevo, April 2022.

Denis Hararic, 30, is a visual artist based in Sarajevo. He grew up as a refugee in Germany and only returned to Bosnia with his family at the age of 6, a real shock for him. Over time, he gained a clear understanding of how the memory of the war still permeates Bosnian society today. As a teenager, he remembers being overcome by a form of post-war depression. Over time, he developed a real attachment to his country even though the country's dysfunctions hampered his daily life, even speaking of "Stockholm syndrome". Referring to the war and its impact on society, he expresses a very mature political vision: "I think we have collectively done ourselves a great injustice. Yes, we have satisfied appetites that were probably there even before the First World War, needs for ethnical territories, but in the end, we have recreated something that is much more terrible for the daily lives of citizens".

Sarajevo, May 2022.

Adna Muslija is a visual artist and co-founder of Manifesto, a contemporary art gallery located in the heart of Sarajevo's old town. The gallery is dedicated to visual arts, but also opens to music, literature, and other forms of experimental art. Manifesto exhibits and promotes politically and socially engaged art, aiming to challenge and improve the social structure of Bosnian society beyond the ethno-nationalist divisions perpetuated by political parties. "Art should not necessarily be beautiful to us, it must first contribute to transforming society. It must first be subversive - that's the power of art».

Sarajevo, May 2022.

Ernest is a bright and ambitious young boy who lives in Dobrinja, a former war-torn neighborhood of Sarajevo. He dreams of becoming an astronaut due to his keen interest in science. Despite the challenges faced by the Bosnian society, Ernest embodies the hope of the youth who are working towards a brighter future.

Dobrinja, October 2020.