The Bosnian capital of Sarajevo marks yet another May 2 as the day when Sarajevo was defended from the former Yugoslav National Army (JNA) who tried to take hold of the Presidency building in 1992. Pročitaj više

The tanks and armoured personnel carriers of the then JNA were stopped by the superhuman efforts of the defenders gathered in the Territorial Defense of the then Republic of BiH, at Skenderija, only a hundred meters from the Presidency building.

The capture of the Presidency building was prevented, but the siege lasted more than 1,400 days in full view of the whole world. Nevertheless, the persistence to defend the city and the desire to survive won and Sarajevo never fell.

The JNA planned to take hold of the building, eliminating Bosnia's leadership headed by then-President Alija Izetbegovic. That was when a decisive battle for the defence of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina took place. It is known as the Battle for the Presidency.

That was the day when the siege of Sarajevo also became apparent and when the capital’s residents were forced to live without water, food and electricity, with constant shelling and sniper fire for the next 1,425 days.

That was also the date when the former President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic, was arrested by the JNA, and Presidency member Fikret Abdic was getting ready to take over the office.

The Battle for the Presidency ended with the triumph of Sarajevans, and President Izetbegovic was exchanged the day later in Dobrovoljacka street.

Delegations of the Canton Sarajevo and Sarajevo's Old Town municipality will mark this day by laying of wreaths at memorials and holding of a number of appropriate events.

This date is not marked in Bosnia's Serb-dominated region of Republika Srpska, or the Herzegovina region mostly populated by Bosnian Croats.