I used to be seven, and living in my hometown village of Barane (within the south of recent day Bosnia and Herzegovina), when the siege of Sarajevo by Serb forces began.
Throughout the attack, which lasted almost 4 years, 11,541 civilians were killed; 1,601 of which were children.
It remains to be the longest siege in modern European history, and was seen as a prelude to the massacre in Srebrenica, considered Europe’s only genocide because the Holocaust.
Now, Italian prosecutors are investigating claims that wealthy tourists paid to act as ‘weekend snipers’, shooting at besieged Sarajevo from Bosnian-Serb positions.
The investigation is the results of a brand new legal case brought forward by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, and follows a 2022 documentary on the topic, Sarajevo Safari.
Reports suggest that Italians, together with Germans, French, English and others from Western countries, paid for the possibility to fireplace at civilians, including paying extra to focus on children.
I’m pleased it’s coming to light now, but barely frustrated knowing that Bosnians have spoken about this for many years.
Not only has it been written about, but even throughout the war, we heard rumours about ‘weekend’ or ‘tourist’ soldiers arriving from abroad.
Information travelled in a different way back then.
The web wasn’t accessible for us, we didn’t have social media, and mobile phones weren’t really around.
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So news spread in really fascinating ways, via people travelling to and from Sarajevo, and international journalists who were working in the realm.
My dad talks about his time in a concentration camp, being locked in a room for days with no food or water, but by some means getting access to recent rumours, recent information.
I used to be only a baby on the time, so my recollections of those rumours are shadowy – in the best way that the snippets kids glean when the grownups are talking all the time are.
But I remember the whispers, and I remember how scared they made me. I didn’t know who these people were, I just thought they were monsters.
Sooner or later in 1993, once I was staying with my great aunt in a village south of Mostar, my mum, brother, sister and I went out to get food.
On our way back, we were spotted by a sniper. My mum grabbed us and pulled us behind a stone wall.
I’ll always remember the best way she was shielding us, as if that may protect us.
We were lying behind that wall for 45 minutes, with the sniper just shooting at us, attempting to scare us.
After I give it some thought now, I’m wondering if that was someone who’d travelled from abroad, that was just there having a fun time out.
They saw this young mother along with her frightened kids through the sniper scope and for them it was only a right laugh. Having a blast.
It’s brought back numerous memories. It’s brought up numerous questions.
I find it so hard to just accept that Bosnians had been dehumanised to such an extent in people’s mind that this was acceptable.
We’re also not talking a few handful of ‘rotten apples.’ Italian documents estimate that dozens of individuals got here, in groups of 5 – 6 on weekends.
The indisputable fact that it has taken 30 years for a prosecution to be brought, regardless that Italian prosecutors knew about this in 1993, is telling.
It was one thing believing the world had forsaken us, forgotten us, or been distracted by its own problems.
Learning that folks travelled to Bosnia simply to kill ravenous women, children, and elderly for pleasure adds one other layer of private trauma and dehumanisation.
The Nineteen Nineties is a wierd time in that it appears like a protracted time ago, however it really isn’t. And yet the war against Bosnia and genocide have already faded from European memory.
These people might have been living amongst us for 30 years.
They may very well be our friends, neighbours, colleagues, MPs.
Going back to Bosnia has all the time felt like I used to be returning to against the law scene.
The UK is my home, my secure place, where I can speak openly and educate in schools, universities and communities, in regards to the dangers of discrimination.
It’s frightening to think that folks who’ve participated in these atrocities may very well be living here.
The UK should follow the steps taken by Italian authorities and open a right away investigation.
And I hope that governments will take this chance to collaborate to analyze it in a meaningful way, with consequences for individuals who were involved.
For that terrified boy hiding from snipers together with his family, and the 1000’s of others affected, that’s the least we deserve.
Do you’ve gotten a story you’d prefer to share? Get in contact by emailing jessica.aureli@metro.co.uk.
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