June 1994 | Voices from the Drina

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The Dutch UN soldiers have more desire to persecute people that don’t want to surrender their weapons. Several times I’ve seen a car stop and Dutch soldiers chase men who have weapons.

Remember the last journalist who came to Srebrenica and only wanted to speak to Naser Orić? I’ve just read his article. It’s all about “mafia” and refers to Orić as ruling the town like a “sheriff”. (1/2)

Most of what the article says isn’t wrong, yet the chosen theme implies a verdict upon us all. The routine of our horror has become commonplace. To such an extent that I fear something dreadful will have to happen for the world to understand our suffering at all. (2/2)

🧵 A protest has broken out in front of Srebrenica town hall. People are accusing the president of the municipality and his staff of stealing humanitarian help.

Part of the aid is always distributed to the population, and the other – better quality – part ends up on the market or in private warehouses belonging to town officials.

There are all sorts of things for officers, town officials, their wives and mistresses, including new trainers or the odd pair of Levi’s that somehow stray into the humanitarian aid.

My son is putting his electrician skills to good use so he can watch the World Cup! He’s built an improvised power station up on the hill, which can power his TV set. They’ve managed to get a signal from Serbia. I’ve just brought them up some food. I was laughing with them. Boys!

I’m with a large number of people up on the hill, where someone has set up a TV to the accumulator, because in town we can’t catch a signal. We’re gathered around a tent to watch the World Cup.

Serb soldiers have entered the empty Bosnian trenches in Zalazje village. They’ve taken – during an apparent peace and alongside cold and disinterested Dutch soldiers – something that they hadn’t been able to take during the war.