The crime which killed twelve babies must happen never again and should be a warning for the future, mothers of the babies who died in Banja Luka Clinical Centre during the 1992-95 Bosnian war due to the lack of oxygen said on Wednesday, marking the anniversary of this horrible event.

“Our little starts will always shine in our hearts, and will live as long as we keep the memory of them,” the mothers said.

UN Security Council introduced a ban on international flights in May and June 1992, preventing the airplanes carrying oxygen bottles from Belgrade to land in Banja Luka, which caused the death of 12 of 14 babies born at that time.

The first baby died on May 22, 1992, and by June 19 the same year 12 more babies passed away. Due to the same consequences, the thirteenth baby Sladjana Kobas died at the age of 14 while the fourteenth baby, Marko Medakovic, suffers the lifelong consequences caused by the lack of the oxygen following his birth.

Dragoslava Jacimovic is the mother of Danijel who passed in 1992.

“I try to forgive every day, but I don't know whom, why or how,” said Dragoslava.

She gave the birth in the northern town Prnjavor and her baby was transported to the Clinical Centre in nearby Banja Luka. 27 days later, she was full of hope but in only two days Dragoslava was told her newborn died.

“It is our message that this must happen never again because the children, the babies did nothing wrong, how come they were collateral damage,” she added.

The event started with a minute's silence and tunes of ‘Twelve little stars’ song. The mothers laid wreaths at the memorial symbolically called ‘Life’ in centre of Banja Luka, the largest city in Bosnia's north.

Physician Mihajlo Petra addressed the commemoration, asking for the mothers’ forgiveness because he failed in delivering Sweden's aid for Banja Luka's hospital.

“Unfortunately, a court proceeding has never been launched over the past 27 years and it's a question if it will ever be because how to fight someone like the UN Security Council and how can we, the small ones call someone so powerful and strong to account. I used to have hope and now I don't have any that this lawsuit will ever be filed. Maybe, but 27 years have passed,” said Zeljka Tubic, one of the mothers and a representative of ‘12 babies’ association.