24 years ago, there were no more Bosniaks in Žepa

ŽEPA, (Patria) - Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Šefik Džaferović attended today the opening of the Memorial in Žepa and the marking of the 24th anniversary of the fall of the United Nations protected zone of Žepa.

The opening of the Memorial was also attended by the Grand Mufti of the Islamic Community in BiH Husein ef. Kavazović, representatives of the families of the victims, returnees, displaced residents of Žepa who came to mark this sad anniversary. Tribute was paid to all the victims from Žepa and members of the Army of the Republic of BiH who gave their lives for the defense of the country.

In his address to those present, Džaferović said that new generations should know and never forget what happened to BiH and Bosniaks during the aggression of 1992-1995.

"With sadness, we remember 495 killed Bosniaks, who were killed by aggressor forces during the three and a half years of the siege of Žepa and the last days of July 1995. We also remember more than a thousand people who were then taken from Žepa to camps, on occupied territory, but also in the area of neighboring Serbia, where they were forcibly held in captivity, even long after the signing of the Dayton Agreement. Exactly on this day, July 27, 1995, there were no more Bosniaks in Žepa. Ratko Mladić's death squads that day began the systematic looting and destruction of Bosniak houses, and finally demolished the mosque. They wanted to erase the traces of our existence in this area, in our Podrinje, which was one of the goals of the Greater Serbian aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina," Džaferović said.

He also recalled the "shameful role of the Ukrainian UN battalion, which without the slightest resistance surrendered the 'protected zone' to Mladić's formations, thereby betraying the people of Žepa and grossly betraying their mandate, entrusted to them by the United Nations."

"Žepa is in our collective memory a symbol of suffering, but Žepa is also a symbol of resistance. From the very beginning of the aggression, the people of this region heroically confronted and resisted the fierce attacks of the aggressor army, throughout the entire three years of siege. Žepa was the last refuge for thousands of refugees from surrounding areas, and only thanks to Žepa did thousands of people manage to save their lives. The greatest credit for this goes to the heroes of the Žepa Brigade of the Army of the Republic of BiH, led by commander Avdo Palić, and their deeds we will never forget," Džaferović said.