Balkans | The 31st anniversary of the Dubrovacjaca incident: How was the attempt to turn Bosnia and Herzegovina into a Serbian province thwarted?

Numerous commemorative events are being held on the 31st anniversary of the conflict that took place on Dobrovoljaca Street in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The controversy surrounding the clashes on this street on May 3, 1992 still lingers, and many leaders currently involved in the defense of the country are still accused of war crimes against Serbian soldiers.

What happened in Dobrovoljaca?

The incident in which the Bosnian and Serbian sides blamed each other, Yugoslavia Forces loyal to Serbian leader Radovan Karadzic within the People’s Army Aliya IzetbegovicIt happened in a tense environment as he tried to take over the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina by capturing them.

Yugoslav soldiers and Serbian paramilitaries attempted to take over state institutions, especially the presidency in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo, on May 2, 1992.

The entrances and exits to the city were closed, and those who remained in the besieged city were doomed to starvation. And the Serb forces took the coup attempt against the will of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who supported independence in the referendum, to a barbaric dimension. The post office was captured and Serbian tanks reached the city centre. The goal was to divide the city in two and take complete control.

Serbian forces crossed the Skenderija Bridge and came within 50 meters of the chair. This coup attempt by the Serbs was prevented by the Territorial Defense Forces and Sarajevo, who would later form the core of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the attempt of the Serb soldiers to seize the presidential building was prevented by the people of Sarajevo. The people of Sarajevo, who had resisted the Serbian forces to defend Sarajevo, finally overcame the fears of the Chetniks that day, Bosnian leader Alia said. What happened on May 2 and 3 symbolizes the breaking of some psychological restrictions on Sarajevo.

On that day, in the city that was heavily bombed by the Serbs, young men in jeans were taken prisoner by the Serb commanders who did not expect resistance, and these prisoners were used in exchange for Alija Izetbegović.

May 3 events

It was agreed that the Serb soldiers and commanders who had been captured by the Bosnian soldiers would be released, in exchange for the release of Izetbegović. However, the Serb forces of the Yugoslav army, who had to withdraw from Sarajevo without weapons, did not comply with the agreement and shot the people and soldiers who made sure of the safety of the convoy. On May 3, 1992, 8 Bosniaks and 7 Serbs died in armed clashes during the withdrawal of the convoy from Dobrovoljaca.

source: Balkan News