Bosnian Muslims, Croats, Serbs, reflect on war, 20 years on.
- 12 years ago
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PLEASE NOTE: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE IN FINAL SOUNDBITE
Thousands of red chairs line the main street of Sarajevo in Bosnia commemorating the victims of the siege of Sarajevo.
Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of a brutal war left more than 100,000 dead and displaced thousands more.
The war ended with a U.S - brokered peace deal in 1995 that saw the country split along ethnic lines amongst its population of Serbs, Croats and Muslims.
Deep divisions remain but the pain of losing loved ones is shared by all.
(SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) RADISLAVA HABUL, WHO LOST HER SIX-YEAR-OLD SON, SAYING:
"My daughter, a school graduate, 18 years old, took my son, six years and 10 days old, out of the cellar to get some fresh air. A grenade fell, killing him and wounding her -- she lost one third of her lungs. I tell you truly. My husband was also injured. This is our tragedy. Excuse my emotions but it's always with me -- he was six years and 10 days old and he wanted to live."
In the city of Banja Luka, part of the autonomous Serb republic, there are no memorials and no chairs.
Only one Bosnian Serb daily newspaper carried a Serbian headline devoted to the anniversary, "Day when persecution and ethnic cleansing of Serbs started."
Yet, the regret of life lost is still there.
According to this man, nobody won the war, and the loss is shared by all.
Others say the war could have been avoided if leaders had made a deal.
(SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) MAN FROM BANJA LUKA, MILAN, SAYING:
"No one hated anyone, nobody needed to go and the war didn't need to happen. Bastards came to power and people got killed, there is nothing else to be said."
This resident feels Serbian victims have not been given enough tribute, with most of the empathy towards Muslims. who he blames for the war.
But for all, April 6 is a day of sadness.
Sarah Wali, Reuters
PLEASE NOTE: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE IN FINAL SOUNDBITE
Thousands of red chairs line the main street of Sarajevo in Bosnia commemorating the victims of the siege of Sarajevo.
Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of a brutal war left more than 100,000 dead and displaced thousands more.
The war ended with a U.S - brokered peace deal in 1995 that saw the country split along ethnic lines amongst its population of Serbs, Croats and Muslims.
Deep divisions remain but the pain of losing loved ones is shared by all.
(SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) RADISLAVA HABUL, WHO LOST HER SIX-YEAR-OLD SON, SAYING:
"My daughter, a school graduate, 18 years old, took my son, six years and 10 days old, out of the cellar to get some fresh air. A grenade fell, killing him and wounding her -- she lost one third of her lungs. I tell you truly. My husband was also injured. This is our tragedy. Excuse my emotions but it's always with me -- he was six years and 10 days old and he wanted to live."
In the city of Banja Luka, part of the autonomous Serb republic, there are no memorials and no chairs.
Only one Bosnian Serb daily newspaper carried a Serbian headline devoted to the anniversary, "Day when persecution and ethnic cleansing of Serbs started."
Yet, the regret of life lost is still there.
According to this man, nobody won the war, and the loss is shared by all.
Others say the war could have been avoided if leaders had made a deal.
(SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) MAN FROM BANJA LUKA, MILAN, SAYING:
"No one hated anyone, nobody needed to go and the war didn't need to happen. Bastards came to power and people got killed, there is nothing else to be said."
This resident feels Serbian victims have not been given enough tribute, with most of the empathy towards Muslims. who he blames for the war.
But for all, April 6 is a day of sadness.
Sarah Wali, Reuters