LAW VIOLATED Sarajevo Canton Government Never Opened Office for Srebrenica Support, Withdrew 2 Million KM Allocated for This Purpose

(Patria) - The Sarajevo Canton Government has been unable to establish an Office for Srebrenica Support for over two years, despite being legally obligated to do so.

The 2024 budget allocated 2,104,888 KM for the work of the Sarajevo Canton Government Office for Srebrenica Support, and six employees were planned. However, instead of the Office for Srebrenica, the Sarajevo Canton Government made a decision to suspend expenditures in the Sarajevo Canton Budget for 2024, which included the budget item - Implementation of the Srebrenica Law.

Patria wrote at the beginning of this year that a call for applications for the head of the Sarajevo Canton Government Office for Srebrenica Support and the head of the Sarajevo Canton Government Office for Diaspora was published in August 2023. Although the Office for Diaspora has started operating, a person to lead the Office for Srebrenica Support has never been selected. Unofficially, this position was supposed to be taken by a candidate from the SDP.

The Law on Special Programs of the Sarajevo Canton for the memorialization of genocide, support for the return and development of Srebrenica, assistance to victims and families of victims of genocide against Bosniaks in the UN protected zone "Srebrenica", adopted in April 2022, stipulates the establishment of the Sarajevo Canton Government Office for Srebrenica Support no later than 60 days from the entry into force of this law. It is clear that the Sarajevo Canton Government has violated this law and the set deadlines.

The Srebrenica Law defines incentive and support measures for victims of genocide and families of victims of genocide against Bosniaks, persons with registered residency in this municipality, displaced persons, returnees, and persons who have returned from the Sarajevo Canton to this local community from the institutions of the Sarajevo Canton and their descendants.

Faruk Đozić, who was supposed to be a candidate for the mayor of Srebrenica but withdrew his candidacy, also reacted to the Sarajevo Canton Government's decision to suspend the planned funds.

"And what now? Is there any responsibility? Even when it comes to Srebrenica. There isn't. Srebrenica has unfortunately become just a token in an election machine, inserted as needed for attack or defense. Will anyone from the working group react? Someone from the initiators of the law? They won't. Because how can you expect responsibility from people like Igor Stojanović, who are willing to come to the Memorial Center and, in front of white tombstones, talk about how a law is being passed for them and those who survived, and then use it in an election campaign while that same law is not being implemented. Or to call the victims of genocide against Bosniaks the victims of Srebrenica. I just don't know if I can criticize like this, he is still a Serb and a member of ARBiH.

"Let's not only remember Srebrenica on July 11th," shouted the Trojans and independents, and then forgot about the 6 million that should have been implemented through the mentioned Law so far. But it doesn't matter, the cream has already been skimmed, a new position has been earned - and the victims of genocide, who cares about them.

I only regret that it is only about suspending an item in the budget, and not about repealing the Law, because tomorrow various Stojanovićs will get the idea to once again stand in defense of returnees and the eastern rampart of the homeland with budget promises," stated Đozić.

However, it is interesting that the initiator of the law, Igor Stojanović, who is also the Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has not commented on such an attitude towards Srebrenica and returnees.