Lives and Homes on the Brink of the Abyss: Authorities Silent, Širokača Demands Urgent Action

(Patria) - The Council of the Local Community Širokača expresses deep disappointment over the insensitivity of the competent authorities, who, instead of addressing the landslide problem at the Curine njive site, spend their time on public promotions and ceremonial events in Sarajevo.

While the residents of Širokača fear for their homes, lives, and the upcoming autumn and winter, authorities at the municipal, cantonal, and federal levels attend events such as the film festival — while urgent remediation measures continue to be postponed.

We remind the public and institutions:

The project-technical documentation for landslide remediation has been completed (prepared by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Sarajevo, funded by the Sarajevo Canton Government).

There has been a lack of timely response from higher levels of government — our appeals have remained unanswered.

The local community was forced to react on its own initiative: the road was repaired and a system for draining surface water was installed — but that is not enough.

The condition of the soil is rapidly deteriorating: cracks in buildings, ground movements, and a real danger to human lives are becoming increasingly pronounced.

Appeals have been sent multiple times to all relevant levels of government (Municipality of Stari Grad, Sarajevo Canton, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska), but there has been no reaction.

Decisions on emergency measures and evacuation orders have been in effect since the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.

Message from the residents

"We demand urgent remediation before it is too late!" — says the President of the Local Community Council, Armin Đono.

The residents of Širokača are ready for civic initiatives, protests, and appeals to higher instances in order to protect their lives and property.

We warn the competent institutions: any further ignoring of this crisis represents a direct danger and political responsibility!