BJELICA: TRNOVO ONE OF MUNICIPALITIES IN SRPSKA THAT SUFFERED THE MOST

TRNOVO, July 30 /SRNA/ – The municipality of Trnovo is one of the municipalities in Republika Srpska that suffered the most, as around 70 percent of its housing and economic infrastructure was destroyed during the 1992–1995 Defensive-Patriotic War, while 13 percent of its pre-war Serb population was lost, said Trnovo Mayor Miroslav Bjelica.

"The youngest victim was 18 months old. They first broke the child's arms and then killed her. The fact that no one has been held accountable for any crime committed against Serbs in the municipality of Trnovo to this day is devastating," Bjelica told the press on the occasion of marking the Day of Remembrance for the Serb victims of the municipality.

Bjelica stressed that efforts to preserve the memory of the fallen soldiers and civilian victims would continue, and appealed to the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH to prosecute those responsible for the war crimes committed in the Trnovo area.

"Today is a sad and difficult day for the municipality of Trnovo, because on July 30, 1992, we were forced to leave our centuries old homes, while our Orthodox church was set on fire the following day," Bjelica recalled.

Istočno Sarajevo City Assembly Speaker, Boško Jugović, said that the municipal administration, together with Istočno Sarajevo City, has done much to create conditions for those who returned to Trnovo to live with dignity, stressing that the loss of 13 percent of the municipality's population during the war speaks volume about the sacrifice made by Trnovo.

Jugović emphasized the importance of preserving the culture of remembrance, adding that today's generations must not forget what happened during the war.

"It is important that we know what happened and that we condemn these crimes, since BiH and its courts, the way they currently are, fail to do so. It is up to us to remember, not to forget, and to pass this on to younger generations, while also creating conditions for future generations to live here with dignity," Jugović said.

Today, Trnovo is marking the Day of Remembrance for the Serb victims of the municipality, where 101 innocent civilians were killed during the Defensive-Patriotic War, and 130 soldiers from Trnovo gave their lives defending their homes.

Members of the so-called Army of BiH committed some of the most brutal crimes against the Serb population in the Trnovo area. The youngest civilian victim was 18 months old, while the oldest was 96 years old.

In terms of the number of people killed relative to its population, Trnovo ranks as the second hardest-hit municipality in Republika Srpska during the war.