TRIBUTE PAID TO MITROVDAN HEROES, UNITY PROVED CRUCIAL IN DEFENSE

NEVESINJE, NOVEMBER 8 /SRNA/ - Unity and mutual support were crucial during the most difficult moments in the defense of Nevesinje, it was said today in Nevesinje at the Freedom Monument, where wreaths were laid and tribute paid to fallen Serb fighters as part of the commemoration of the anniversary of the Mitrovdan battles.

Wreaths were also laid at the monument to Novica Gušić, the legendary commander of the Nevesinje Brigade, and those present visited the Memorial Room in Nevesinje.

Wreaths were laid by Republika Srpska Minister of Labor, War Veterans' and Disabled Persons' Protection Radan Ostojić, envoy of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Boško Tomić, and representatives of veterans' organisations.

Wreaths were also laid by members of the Republika Srpska National Assembly, mayors of Herzegovina's municipalities, representatives of numerous associations formed out of the Defensive-Patriotic War, representatives of the Consular Office of the Republic of Serbia in Trebinje, and Nevesinje veterans.

Minister Ostojić stressed that the Mitrovdan commemoration was an opportunity primarily to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for the foundations of Republika Srpska.

"Great victories were achieved during the Defensive-Patriotic War, but there can be no victory without great suffering. The same was true during the Mitrovdan offensives," Ostojić noted.

Ranko Prodanović, commander of the Fourth Battalion of the Nevesinje Brigade, recalled the events of Mitrovdan 1992, which Nevesinje and its fighters will never forget.

"The weather was much like it is today, but the barrage of artillery fire signalled what was to come. Probably no other front during the entire war saw such a large number of shells fired," Prodanović recalled.

He said that fierce fighting lasted for seven days, but that people from across Herzegovina came to Nevesinje's aid, thanks to which the enemy offensive was crushed, and every inch of Republika Srpska's territory was preserved.

Boško Tomić, envoy of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, stressed that young people must know where their fathers and grandfathers fell and gave their lives so that they can understand the importance of freedom and the sacrifice made to secure it.

He emphasized that Nevesinje made great sacrifices during the two offensives, when it was attacked by enemy forces from all sides while the number of its defenders was limited.

"When it came to fighting the decisive battle, everyone stepped forward, young and old alike. There were children as young as 14 who wanted to go to the front, but they were sent back. When a people rise up and set out to defend their homes, no one can defeat them," Tomić said.

He also recalled Nevesinje's historical significance and its contribution to the Serb people's liberation struggles, noting that the Nevesinje Uprising /Nevesinjska puška/ had secured statehood for both Montenegro and Serbia.

Nevesinje Mayor Milenko Avdalović said that the people of Nevesinje demonstrated national maturity and an awareness that those who fell in the Mitrovdan offensives had sacrificed their lives for Republika Srpska, which is an expression of the Serb people's genuine aspirations.

"Republika Srpska should be protected and nurtured, as it is something that safeguards the interests of the Serb people in constitutional and legal terms. Serbs in Republika Srpska may be better able than ever before to pursue their interests," Avdalović said.

Siniša Šipovac, president of the Nevesinje Municipal Veterans' Organisation, said that veterans should overcome their differences and called for unity, saying that it was inconceivable that they had once had each other's backs but were now unable to extend a helping hand to one another.

Šipovac said that amendments to the law adopted last year had significantly improved the status of demobilised veterans, families of fallen soldiers and disabled war veterans. He added that 25 children of fallen soldiers had found employment, but that the employment issue remained unresolved for others in this category.

The Mitrovdan commemoration continued with a formal ceremony at the Nebojša Glogovac Cultural Centre.

During the first Mitrovdan offensive, which began on November 8, 1992, 41 members of the Republika Srpska Army and one civilian were killed, while more than 100 fighters and five civilians were wounded.

The second Mitrovdan battle was fought in November 1994 and ended in the defeat of the forces of the so-called Army of BiH. A total of 26 fighters were killed and 68 wounded in the fighting, 42 of them seriously, while four civilians were killed.