Exactly one year after the catastrophic tragedy in which 19 citizens from Donja Jablanica and the settlement of Zlate lost their lives, a commemorative gathering organized by the informal citizens’ association “October 4th” was held at the site of the old railway station.
Although invitations were sent to all relevant representatives of the authorities, by 2 p.m. – the planned start of the commemoration – only a few officials had arrived, among them former Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Sifet Podzic.
Rows of empty chairs with signs reserved for institutions and political representatives stood as a silent symbol of the absence of those who should have stood with the people.
Earlier the same day, at the “Battle for the Wounded on the Neretva” Museum, a commemorative academy was held, organized by the Municipality of Jablanica, attended by numerous citizens, family members of the victims, representatives of the European Union (EU) Delegation to BiH, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), rescue services, and other organizations.
Speaking on behalf of all the residents, Bakir Tufek emphasized:
“A year has passed since the unprecedented tragedy that struck our Jablanica and our villages. We can never forget October 4th. Our village, Donja Jablanica, will never be the same again.”
On that occasion, Tufek announced an initiative to officially proclaim October 4th as a Day of Mourning in the municipality of Jablanica and expressed disappointment that, still, a year after the tragedy, not a single indictment has been raised.
A particularly emotional moment was the screening of a short film about the events of the night of the tragedy, during which family members of the victims struggled to hide their tears and grief.
At the site of yesterday’s commemorative gathering, photographs of the victims were displayed, as well as symbolic messages in front of the railway track, which had been the immediate backdrop of the accident. The silence, the empty chairs, and the gazes of the survivors spoke more than any words – about pain, remembrance, but also about institutional neglect.
The “October 4th” association once again appealed to the judiciary and state institutions that injustice must not be forgotten and that those responsible must be named, N1 writes.
However, a year later, many affected families are still living in containers, while some roads are still barely passable.
The citizens of Jablanica say that they are not satisfied with the pace or scope of what has been done so far, as well as with the overall attitude of all levels of government towards the victims. Also, they are not satisfied with the attitude of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton towards everything, because, they say, after a year they have no answers to the questions – why the tragedy happened, that is, the landslide, and whether someone should be held criminally responsible for all this.
“I was filming, but when I saw that the water was carrying him – I dropped my phone and went to get him, saved him and brought him into the house. Then the mud entered the house. In the meantime, I woke up my parents and we still went out through the window,” recalls Amina Imamović, a resident of Donja Jablanica.
That night, Amina was taken the most precious thing – nine members of her family. The home disappeared along with everything that existed in it. Every trace at the scene of the tragedy that has not been removed even after a year reminds her of a life that suddenly ceased to exist. The pain is raw, and the feeling of abandonment is immense.
“The municipality has done what is within their reach and what they can. While the state as a state – I hope they wake up and finally justify their salaries and chairs, not just sit and drink coffee,” she added.
Only the humanity of the people and donations keep the reconstruction process alive. Some buildings have been rebuilt, but many are still waiting their turn. Procedural obstacles and slow administrative steps are holding up the work. The promises of the authorities often do not match the pace of the needs of those who have lost everything.
“As for housing, we have come to a figure of six to seven million convertible marks, considering that it was necessary to build 20 new housing units in Donja Jablanica and three in the Zlate settlement. In Mirke, six families received their new housing units,” said the mayor of the Jablanica municipality, Emir Muratović.
The first anniversary of the floods was marked through two worlds. The splendor of the ceremonial academy of the municipality and the place of the real tragedy – a gathering organized by the citizens themselves. Many invited officials did not appear, citing official business, and those who did sat in the front row, while the tones of solidarity echoed through the hall. The families in the background, with their silent presence, spoke more than words. A paradoxical gesture that revealed the true image of solidarity.
“Today I stand here with pain in my heart, but also with pride that I can talk about those who marked my life and the lives of all of us”, said Amina Imamović in her speech at the commemoration.
Justice is still far away, investigations take place behind closed doors, and the public does not know the details. So far, not a single indictment has been brought. The inaction of the authorities and the closure of the process leave the survivors alone with pain and memories. Such an attitude of the authorities sends a clear message: those who survived must learn to live with the tragedy that the system skillfully ignores.
