Day of the Army of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and the 11th anniversary of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSBiH) were also marked in the Bosnia-Podrinje Canton Goražde.
Delegations of officials, members of the Armed Forces, and representatives of veterans’ associations laid flowers at the memorial “Goražde – A Hero City for its Defenders”. With the national anthem, a prayer and a minute of silence, the official program began at the plateau in front of the building of the Canton.
During the speeches, the importance of the ARBiH and its role in the most difficult days of the defense of BiH and Goražde were highlighted. Days when the ARBiH was formed were the hardest days in the history of this region.
“This city was attacked by the Užice Corps from the east, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps from the northwest, the Herzegovina Corps from the south and others who did harm in this area. The surrounding cities were falling, and an ordinary Bosnian man in trainers and pants, with poor weapons, stood up to defend his homeland and protected this piece of Bosnia on the Drina River,” said Derviš Hadžić, representative of the Coordination of Veterans’ Associations of the Bosnia-Podrinje Canton Goražde.
Who knows what would be the fate of Goražde if it were not for the brave, ordinary people who became heroes of defense overnight, and without their wisdom at the time when difficult decisions had to be made?
“Beginnings of the Army, at least in this area, can be traced back to one date, 27th September 1991. On that day, we were watching as the members of the Yugoslav Peoples’ Army went to the battlefield of Dubrovnik. Majority of the citizens were shocked. That was the day when we established the Crisis Headquarters in Goražde, which operated illegally- we were determined in one thing – to oppose all those who attack this city,” reminded Abduselam Sijerčić Pelam, war commandant.
Prime Minister of the Bosnia-Podrinje Canton Goražde Emir Oković also paid tribute to the killed defenders, heroes of the defense of Goražde, former members and veterans, as well as the members of the Armed Forces, also reminding of one important fact.
“We must remember the heroes of defense of this area, as well as all those who are fighting for justice in different processes. We in Goražde only want the truth to be proven, and I am almost certain that every resident of Goražde knows that truth,” Oković said.
More than 4.000 people were killed – around 2.000 civilians and 2.000 defenders, and 548 children were killed or wounded.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo avaz)
