[wzslider autoplay=”true”]20 years ago, on the 19th of March 1996, in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Grbavica, the first police units entered into newly formed Canton Sarajevo, thus formalizing the reintegration.
Grbavica was occupied by the Army of Republika Srpksa (VRS) for 4 years, and some members of the VRS and paramilitary groups committed war crimes against the people of all nationalities in this neighborhood, and especially against Bosniaks who failed to reach the free territory.
On the 19th of March 1996, hundred members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of CS, namely 67 Bosniaks, 20 Serbs and 13 Croats, entered to Grbavica. Together with members of the IPTF and the first returnees, they found catastrophic situation.
Under the pressure of the SDS and the authorities from Pale, as well as the fear and panic, the majority of the Serbian population decided to leave their homes on the day of reintegration or the period before it.
Some residents destroyed and burnt their homes, while some units were burned by SDS paramilitary groups. Few days earlier, similar scenario took place in Ilidza.
Leaving of Serbian population caused robbery and destruction of public properties such as schools “29 Novembar” and “Bratstvo i jedinstvo”. Also, the neighborhood was covered in garbage due to a lack of municipal workers and equipment during the period of occupation.
(Source: I. P./Klix.ba)
