In the Memorial Complex Focanska Hair Cesma (Foca’s Charitable Fountain), built next to the M-20 main road Gorazde – Foca, at the entrance to Ustikolina, a wall bearing the names of 2.360 killed men and women from Foca has been completed, serving as a permanent reminder of the scale of crimes committed in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with a message that memory is a sacred trust, and the names are witnesses that they lived.
Amir Borovic, a member of the organizing committee for the construction of the memorial complex, emphasizes that gathering the names of people killed from Foca across BiH was the most difficult part of the work.
“On the wall there are 2.360 names on plaques which are posted and made visible to all citizens and good people who stop by so they can read them, because this is like an open book,” said Borovic, expressing gratitude to all who contributed in any way to making this memorial complex a reality, for the first time in the bloody history of the people of Foca.
He recalls that the idea to build this complex emerged about five years ago.
“Our fellow citizen, Foca native Nedzad Delic, came up with the idea and gathered a team of people around him who make up the Organizing Committee, which has worked tirelessly all this time. Many people have passed through the committee, and everyone contributed something, and everyone deserves credit, because none of this would have been possible if the people of Foca had not responded and supported the idea in large numbers,” he noted.
In addition to the 34-meter-long wall inscribed with the names of the killed, the complex also houses several sculptures, each with its own story. One symbolizes the Foca Correctional Facility, through which more than 1.000 people passed during the chaos of war, many of whom met a tragic end. The sculpture titled “Focanska suza” (Foca Tear) is the work of Foca native Halim Komar and is dedicated to the women who survived rape and other forms of torture in Foca, the committee explains.
“We also have a sculpture for all the missing people of Foca, as there are still 625 individuals from the Foca area being searched for. There is also a sculpture dedicated to the killed children of Foca, a work by our artist Salem Causevic, in which 49 children who perished are listed by name and surname. The sculpture for members of the Army of the Republic of BiH (ARBiH) is dedicated to Foca residents who fought throughout BiH, from Gorazde to Foca, Sarajevo, and other cities. The final sculpture is dedicated to all the people of Foca who were killed and thrown into the Drina River – around 500 people died in that manner,” Borovic specified.
The memorial complex also features a symbol of Foca and red roses that symbolize life after death.
“We also have a replica of the Foca clock tower, decorated with verses written by prominent citizens of Foca. In front of the hair fountain, we have cobblestones installed that we bought from the Serbian authorities, which originate from Prijeka carsija in Foca. Either this year or next, the construction of a memorial room is also planned, which will complete this project,” Borovic stressed.
On one of the plaques, historical facts are listed, stating that during the period from 1992 to 1995, in the Foca area, which had about 20.000 inhabitants, more than 1.000 people were detained in Foca’s camps. During that time, in the municipality of Foca and throughout BiH, more than 2.400 residents of Foca were killed. The number of civilians killed in Foca and thrown into the largest Bosniak mass grave – the Drina River – is unknown, while the remains of 625 people have never been found.
