Voices from the Drina | Bosnian Genocide Education

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We’re staying with my grandparents. My Aunt’s son and his wife, and their two children, Armin and Irma, are staying with us. They’ve fled Rogatica in the South-East.

We’re surviving on thin potato stews with a trace of carrot and onion. Sometimes we have bean broth. We have 1,200 Deutschmarks but money is of no use here as there is no food to buy. The locals have been stockpiling since the outbreak of the war.

We’re going back to Bratunac. Apparently things have calmed down there.

My Dad’s brother has been murdered in Bratunac by Serb paramilitaries. His body was thrown into the river by the Yellow Bridge.

Dad is back. He told me what happened in Vlasenica. He’d invited notable Serbs to our flat for food and drinks. One of the guests was Milenko Stanić, the Mayor of Vlasenica and local SDS president.

The Mayor complimented Dad on our “beautiful home” and said he’d “love to have one just like it”. I don’t trust him. The Serbs did not listen to Dad’s pleas.

We’re leaving Vlasenica for Stoborani village. Stoborani is Dad’s village, towards the Drina River. I don’t think we should be going here… there’s nothing in Stoborani. Mum and Dad say we’re going to hide in the forest until the madness is over. When will it be over though?

The Križevica is a river that runs through Bratunac to join the Drina, which forms the border between Bosnia and Serbia. The corpses of prominent Bosniaks are now washing ashore. We have to get out of here.

🧵 My hometown of Bratunac is being “ethnically cleansed”. A thread.

For the last two days people have been fleeing across Čauš Hill and into Likari village. Serb forces have invaded the town. There is no way for Bosniaks to not be killed in Bratunac, so we are all fleeing.