Representatives of the Anti-Fascist Assembly for the National Liberation (SABNOR) BiH, as well as other anti-fascist associations from Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia, marked the 75thanniversary of the Battle of Sutjeska yesterday at Tjentiste.
The anti-fascists laid down the wreaths and remembered one of the greatest battles from World War II in this area, in which 7.543 soldiers died. The Battle of Sutjeska took place in the period from May 15 to June 16, 1943, and it was the decisive battle for the fifth enemy offensive.
Almost 127,000 German, Italian and Bulgarian soldiers and Ustashas, with the support of 300 planes, surrounded 22,000 partisans with the goal to destroy them. The first proletarian division managed to break through the enemy’s rows on Sutjeska on June 10, 1943, and the battle was ended on June 15, 1943, with the breakthrough of the main forces of NOVJ.
The main messages of this gathering are that anti-fascism is not dead in this area, that there are many people who want to continue nurturing the tradition of anti-fascism, and they also noted that values of the national liberation fight, such as coexistence, are indefeasible and still lasting. They also added that this famous past should not be forgotten and that we need to learn from these great events and apply them in this time.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Muharem Fiso, attended the event and stated that anti-fascism will always live in this region, because it is not just an ideology, but the theory of survival of a human society.
A cultural and artistic program was held after the speech of representatives of anti-fascist and survivors of the Battle of Sutjeska, as announced from the Cabinet of Minister Muharem Fiso.
(Source: klix.ba)
