Minister Konaković, do you know what is even uglier than stories about evacuation, the truth that Jablanica is neglected!

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is once again analyzing social media. Luckily, the FBiH Government officially included "social media manager" in the list of occupations, meaning Konaković won't have trouble finding a job.

Jokes aside, because few people are in the mood for jokes in these turbulent, uncertain times.

Namely, Konaković commented on the criticism of the evacuation from Dubai, claiming that it is not moral or humane and that it is "especially an ugly story" how Jablanica was neglected.

And, Minister, the only thing uglier than trying to present criticism of the evacuation as "immoral and inhumane" is the truth – Jablanica is indeed neglected. Minister Konaković should admit that.

More than a year has passed since the devastating storm that hit Jablanica. 18 people lost their lives in floods, landslides, and rockfalls. There is still no final prosecutorial decision regarding the controversial quarry; judicial institutions played ping-pong for a long time, before Poskok finally took over the case.

While public debate revolves around influencers and the wealthy, people who lost everything in the floods are still waiting for concrete help. Minister Konaković points out that the state reacts daily and saves its citizens abroad, which is certainly an important task.

However, when real problems within the country – destroyed houses, devastated infrastructure, people without basic means of subsistence – are left in the background, the rhetoric of "ugly stories" not only sounds cold but reflects the distance between those who make decisions and those who suffer.

Money has been approved and partly distributed, but the fact that Jablanica is still waiting for reconstruction speaks louder than any official statement. Criticisms are not public manipulation; they reflect the real feelings of citizens who see injustice and neglect.

While insisting on moral superiority in rescuing Bosnians and Herzegovinians from abroad, those who made those same Bosnians and Herzegovinians need help at home, in Jablanica, are forgotten.

It is ugly when the truth is tried to be hidden with words, but it is even uglier when the real suffering of citizens is turned into a "story" that is ignored.

Therefore, Konaković should do his job more, caring equally for all 'groups of citizens', not just the privileged ones. He should especially not get angry that the public still sees inconsistency and neglect of themselves!