Croatian city of Split marked Bosnia’s Independence Day with an appropriate cultural program organised by the Council of Bosniak National Minority in the Split-Dalmatia County and the city of Split, and the Association of Bosniak Veterans in Croatia’s Homeland War and the Bosniak Cultural Society Preporod.

“The independence referendum marked Bosnia’s future and ensured its existence,” said Edin Nurkic, on behalf of event organisers.

on February 29, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina held an independence referendum on which 64 percent of all citizens voted, and 99.44 of them said they supported Bosnia’s independence.

The referendum question said: “Do you support a sovereign and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country of equal citizens and peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Muslims, Serbs and Croats as well as members of other peoples who live here?”

The referendum confirmed the majority of citizens’ determination for Bosnia’s future. It was also an introduction into a four-year war in Bosnia, and aggression against the country which took over 100,000 lives and left over a million residents displaced.

Speaking on behalf of the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County, Damir Gabric said that Croatia and Bosnia are “linked on their common path.”

During the official part of the ceremony, both Croatian and Bosnian anthems were played at the City Youth Theatre. Both Bosniak Cultural Society Preporod and the Macedonian Cultural Society Makedonia performed in the cultural part of the event.