TRIVAN: SERB RETURNEES FULLY OBSTRUCTED

BELGRADE, JULY 25 /SRNA/ - The mass attack by the Croatian regular army and the HVO on Grahovo and Glamoč on July 25, 1995, which was a prelude to the final ethnic cleansing of Serbs ten days later in Republika Srpska Krajina, devastated these two Serb municipalities in the FBiH, while the authorities there still do not allow the remaining residents to live normally.

The head of the Association of Grahovo residents in Belgrade, Branko Trivan, in his SRNA statement, describes the situation in Grahov as "total devastation" and points out that this city is completely forgotten and doomed.

Trivan states that the obstruction of the return of the Serb population was "done to the maximum", nothing was invested in the industry so that they could earn for a living and, as he says, nothing was returned to the people, only the houses were renovated.

Until recently, there was not a single doctor in Grahovo and its surroundings, so people, he says, "literally died on the street".

"We have one doctor now, since a year or a year and a half ago. Before, people were literally dying on the street. Our physical education teacher died on the street. There was no one to come to his aid," Trivan points out.

Grahovo belongs to the Livno Canton, which consists of two municipalities with a Serb majority, Drvar and Glamoč, and three municipalities with a Croat majority - Kupres, Tomislavgrad and Livno, where the seat of the executive power is located.

"The population is Serb with a cantonal government that is Croat. Unfortunately, there is not much to say," says Trivan.

He indicates that very few people remained in Grahovo and the surrounding villages before the attack of the Croatian Army on July 25, 1995, and those who remained, mostly old and infirm, were killed.

Today, Serbs from Grahovo are scattered all over the world, most of them found refuge in Serbia, partly in Banja Luka, and they also live in Canada, America and Germany, where anyone could, or had someone, to be able to work and survive.

When it comes to the hopes of Grahovo residents that one day they will be able to return to their city and live a normal life, Trivan is not optimistic and assesses that because of the clean water and air, like few places in the world, someone will live there, but, unfortunately, he does not think that it will be Serbs.

"There are no Croats there, let's face it. There are no us either. We bled, fought wars, now those areas remain waiting for a new people. Maybe the final goal is for Arabs from Europe to settle in that area, but who knows," says Trivan.

He states that there were attempts by buyers from Arab countries to buy land in Martin Brod, which belonged to Drvar, and then in 1995 it was annexed to Bihać.

Trivan notes, there were also offers from buyers from Arab countries for the Grahovo area, and the owners were contacted directly.

"We need to work on the awareness of our people to legalize their property and to register it. There is no money for which I would sell my land, but then again, it would be a pain to make someone sell an apartment for BAM 5,000," Trivan points out.