A service for the dead and a commemoration were held to mark that day, 16 January 1993 when, according to the commemoration organisers, 34 civilians and 35 members of the Republika Srpska Army lost their lives in an attack by units of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Peace activists from the Centre for Nonviolent Action attended the commemoration and paid their respects to the victims of this war crime for which no one has been held accountable, especially honouring the civilian victims and the children, women and elderly among them.
“It was important for us to be at the commemoration as peace activists with a mixed group of war veterans, and we had been planning this for a long time. Two years ago, we came with a smaller group to introduce ourselves to the people of Skelani and the victims’ families and let them know about our mission and intentions. This time, we could come with a larger group and pay our respects to those killed, especially the civilians. We come with full awareness of all the suffering in this area, we come in peace to honour all victims, to draw attention to every crime and call for prosecuting the perpetrators and for finding missing persons,” said Tamara Zrnović, a member of the Centre for Nonviolent Action.
A feeling of being wronged, of the victims being forgotten and less worthy, of being overlooked and not remembered is present among the people of Skelani. A message was sent from the commemoration that the Podrinje area saw the suffering of both peoples, both Serbs and Bosniaks, but that those responsible for the suffering of Serbs have not been prosecuted.
Under the organisation of the Centre for Nonviolent Action, peace activists and war veterans from the region have attended commemorations in BiH in Gornji Vakuf, at Site 715 near Zavidovići, in Stog near Vozuća, in Novi Grad/Bosanski Novi, Sanski Most (Hrastova glavica), Sijekovac near Brod, Laništa near Brčko, Trusina near Konjic, Ahmići near Vitez, Grabovica, Uborak and Sutina near Mostar, Briševo and Zecovi near Prijedor, Korićanske stijene, Stupni Do near Vareš, Boderište near Brčko, the bridge over the Sava in Brčko, Bradina near Konjic, and in Serbia in Grdelička klisura near Leskovac, Varvarin near Kruševac, Aleksinac, as well as in Croatia in Pakrac, Varivode and Gošić near Knin.
“With a similar mixed group of peace activists and war veterans from BiH, Croatia and Serbia, we visited the Potočari Memorial Centre in 2012 and paid our respects to the victims. By paying our respects to all victims, by attending all commemorations where we are invited, we want to show that compassion for all victims is possible and that this approach does not diminish any group’s victims. Unfortunately, we have seen how our societies remember victims selectively and often abuse this remembrance to the detriment of peace. By coming to commemorations, we are hoping, among other things, to stand up to such practices,” said Nedžad Novalić from the Centre for Nonviolent Action.
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