War, a lasting heritage

Twenty years have passed since the historical meeting in Dayton that put an end to the tragic war between Serbia and Croatia, which marked the creation of contemporary Bosnia-Herzegovina, but that painful chapter has not yet come to an end. The inhabitants of Yukovar, the relatives of the victims and of those who are missing, thousands of refugees who are still social outcasts, continue waiting that justice is done. The only hope to solve past and present disputes involving Western Balkan countries appears to be adhesion to the European Union. Iva Mihailova, SIR Europe correspondent, addressed the issue with Serbian political analyst Dragan Janjic, member of the Forum for International Relations in Belgium. The war in Yugoslavia of 1991-1995 has been extremely violent, with countless deaths and displaced persons. However, very few people were declared responsible of the misdeeds and have served a sentence. Why? “It takes time, it’s an ongoing process that is bound to remain an open issue for the next decades. Local governments should step up their efforts and jointly cooperate to seek the historical truth, prosecute the criminals, solve the problem of missing persons and offer appropriate compensation to the victims. Unfortunately, nationalistic stands have gained grounds in Serbia and in Croatia alike, and this hinders the continuation of the process. It’s hard to say how much time it will take to finally turn a new page since the last war, and overcome the divisions that have changed the map of the Balkans several times in the course of the past century”. The latest episode was the ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, at the beginning of February that rejected the accusations of genocide presented by Serbia and Croatia. What is your opinion to this regard? “The verdict is very important for the future, because it will help calm tempers on both sides and, we hope that the involved parties will seize the opportunity to open a new chapter in mutual relations, free from the dark shadows of the accusations of genocide. Certainly this ruling does not satisfy all those victims of the war that for years have been waiting that justice is done. The ongoing trials proceed at a very slow pace, both in Serbia and in Croatia, and each one of these Countries tries to underplay the deeds carried out by the military and paramilitary, while there is always the determination to prosecute those responsible on the other side. The problem in Serbia is linked especially to the refugees that fled after the Tempest Operation (Oluja), who are now on the margins of society, without a job, without nothing. And many of them can’t even return to their hometowns in Croatia because they risk being arrested. Nobody has yet been indicted for the crimes committed by Serbians against the Croatian population in Slavonie and in Krajna. But reconciliation with the past cannot take place with mutual accusations of genocide”. Do you believe that a path of peace and cooperation could be developed between Croatia and Serbia, especially from a European angle? “Without the EU’s mediation the trawls of the war will never be completely wiped away. Europe remains the only possible way of stability in Western Balkans, and also for the EU this area is important because of the growing interest of Russia. When Serbia and Croatia were members of the federation of Yugoslavia, the relations between the two countries were very good. I think that if these two Countries were members of the EU, the atmosphere would improve, and it would lead to the resolution of the disputes. Kosovo and its independence remains a hanging problem for Serbia. What could be the future developments in your opinion? “The truth is that Kosovo is independent and Serbia can do nothing about it. In reality, the Serbian state isn’t ready to officially recognize this independence but in practical terms the actions of Belgrade towards Pristine go in the direction of an independent state. The latest piece of evidence is the agreement reached on justice and the judiciary in Kosovo with the mediation of the EU. Here the situation is much more complicated than the relations with Croatia because before the war Kosovo was an integrating part of Serbia, although it was an independent province. At the end Belgrade will have to recognize this independence but also in this case it will take time”. On June 6 Pope Francis will visit Sarajevo to create “ferments of goodness” and consolidate “fraternity and peace”. What could be the effects of this visit? “The Pope’s visit to Sarajevo is very important for the entire Balkan area. We need words of peace and tolerance, which certainly the Pope will bring, since religions cannot be exploited in the name of violence and war. And this is true not only for the past of Yugoslavia but also today, when in Bosnia there is the influence of ISIS and many Muslims leave to fight in Syria. Certainly this visit will bring serenity in the relations and will boost the dialogue between religions”.