[wzslider autoplay=”true”]More than two decades after the war years in Srebrenica and the genocide, the domestic and foreign public talks the most about funerals, exhumation of mass graves and searching for missing persons, and the processing of war criminals.
Given that this is a planetary tragedy, it is rarely spoken about the life of Bosniaks from Podrinje in this “protected zone”, which has been turned into the largest camp on the earth in mid-April 1993, by the decision of the United Nations.
Here are some exclusive photographs taken by Dutch soldiers, which were given to the public by Osman Avdić from Podrinje, who was staying in the Srebrenica enclave since 1993 until 1995. Born in Vlasenica, Avdić came to the enclave with his family when he was 16 years old. He lived near the headquarters of the Dutch soldiers.
“Far from the reality of us, resident of Srebrenica, the soldiers of the UN were living in the fenced headquarters. However, they are humans, just like us. Those who wanted to learn more about our life and fight singled out soon,” Osman says.
Probably the most emotional photograph is the one showing several boys from Srebrenica playing chess with a Dutch soldier under the wire and metal fence. Children were looking at the photographer while the soldier, who has a rifle next to him, was looking at the chess board. There is another photograph showing a chess game between one young man from Srebrenica and a Dutch soldier. Avdić says that the young man from the photograph was called Esmir and he did not survive the genocide. It is not known whether Esmir checkmated the soldier in this game. Judging by the situation on the chess board, he was close to winning. Another photograph shows the Dutch soldiers eating pita in one Bosniak house.
“Our people are very hospitable and shared the last piece of food with the Dutch soldiers. This photo was taken in Sućeska,” Avdić says.
Other photographs also depict life in the Srebrenica enclave. One of them shows agricultural process in one of the villages around Srebrenica, while the other one, as Avdić explained, shows the assembling of a battery with parts brought from the factory in Potočari, which was used for listening to the radio. Also captured is the UN jeep stuck in mud. Local residents helped the UN soldiers get out of the mud. However, in July 1995 the UN did not help these people.
Among the photographs is a letter sent by one man from Podrinje to his mother in Germany.
“Mother, how are you? I wanted to write you a letter to tell you that I found one Dutch man who promised to bring me money from you. Please send me as much money as you can, because I need money here. That Dutch man is leaving Srebrenica on June 15, and coming back to Srebrenica on July 8, possibly even earlier. So, as soon as you get this letter, sent the money to his address that I will give you, and he will give the money to me. Actually, he will give the money to my friend Nijaz Hasanović, whom he knows, and Nijaz will give the money to me. Lots of greetings from Jasmin and Azra. Write back,” it was written in the letter.
(Source: avaz.ba/photo: avaz.ba)
