(47) Bosnia twenty years later a story from Mostar

(Mostar)

1) Do you remember where were you when you realized the war was imminent? What town and what location in the town? – City of Mostar April 3rd 1992 after explosion next to the Yugoslavian Army base on the North side of the city.

2) Do you remember where you were when the war broke out, specifically? – Home watching TV with the videos of shooting in Sarajevo.

3) Where were you when the war came to your town? Were you at home, relatives, friends, work? – Home because my parents would not let me go to school any more.

4) The most memorable event of the war for you was? - In December of 1993 I helped little 6 year old girl cross the mountain to reunite with her mom and sister that were getting ready to leave Bosnia and go to England because her older sister was injured and she needed to have surgery to save her arm. I was able to locate them after the war here in US.

5) What made you hopeless during the war? – Constant bombing and no will for compromise from either side.

6) What gave you hope during the war? -

7) Did you lose anyone close to you during the war? – Yes I lost my father in July of 1993.

8) Were you wounded during the war? Where were you wounded? Anyone close to you wounded? – Yes I was wounded 3 times during the war. I was wounded in my left arm in June of 1992, my back and left shoulder in August of 1993 and both of my legs in September of 1993.

9) Your biggest loss during the war was? – My father.

10) What was the hardest part about the war? – Uncertainty and indecisiveness of world community

11) Did you leave the country during the war? – No I left country in September of 1997 so that was almost 2 years after the war was over.

12) 20 years later, what do you think of what happened? – Our enemies just changed the methods but the goal is still the same.

13) Are things better or worse than what you expected 20 years later? – Things are better because at least we have some kind of a independence that we did not have before and at least now our representatives are involved in the politics and they are representing us. Before 20 years we did not know what was going on and that’s why some of the things happened to us.

14) Do you think war will return to BiH? – Maybe unless world community takes necessary steps to remove political factors that are causing all problems. Dayton “peace” agreement is the biggest problem because it rewarded the aggressor for genocide and aggression on BiH. We need to revise Dayton agreement because things changed since it was signed. Dayton agreement did what it was intended to do “Stop the war” but now it’s causing more problems than anyting.

15) What do you think the future of BiH will be? – Very bright once young people take more responsibility and decide to get involved in political movements.