We must strengthen the state, stop those who play with security of the country and stability, and work on reconciliation process among peoples, said Bosniak member of the Bosnia's tripartite Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic on Monday at the commemoration for Ahmici massacre victims.
Survivors commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1993 slaughter of 116 civilians in Ahmici, a village near the central Bosnian town of Vitez, that was attacked by Bosnian Croat forces at the beginning of the Bosniak-Croat conflict.
“It's been 25 years since one horrible day started in Ahmici. 32 killed women, children, the elderly, 116 civilians. We have two obligations towards the killed ones. First, to keep the memory of them, and the second, to do everything to have that happen never again,” said Izetbegovic.
“We must strengthen our state, stop that evil, stop those who play with security and stability of the country, strengthen all its institutions, especially those dealing with security and stability, work on process of reconciliation among people and integration of BiH into the NATO and the EU, this should be our agreement,” he stressed.
“We must reconcile people in Bosnia, understand how the second and the third side felt,” added Izetbegović.
Six people were convicted for their involvement in the Ahmici massacre, five of them in The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. Among them was Dario Kordic, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison but was released four years ago after serving two thirds of his sentence. A court in Bosnia also sentenced Pasko Ljubicic behind to 10 years imprisonment for his part in the massacre.
Some of the bodies of the 116 Bosniak victims have, according to the local war victims association ‘April 16’, not been found yet.
