Sarajevo Marks 30th anniversary of Markale massacre: “The world has not learned from its mistakes in Bosnia”

On February 5, 1994, a mortar shell fired by Bosnian Serb forces hit the crowded Markale marketplace, killing 43 civilians and wounding 84 others.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sarajevo Mayor Samir Avdic said that such anniversaries are a solemn reminder of the innocent lives lost and a call to honor them as true heroes of the city and of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“They lost their lives because a criminal believed Sarajevo could be subdued — but that never happened,” Avdic stressed.

Sarajevo Canton Prime Minister Nihad Uk drew a direct parallel between the crimes committed in BiH and today’s global conflicts.

“While we mark this anniversary, genocide is unfolding in Gaza and aggression continues in Ukraine, because the world has not learned from its mistakes in Bosnia,” Uk said. He also urged BiH’s judiciary to prioritize prosecutions for crimes committed during the siege of Sarajevo, calling it a matter of justice rather than politics.

Muamer Dzananovic, director of the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law at the University of Sarajevo, announced the opening of an exhibition documenting the Markale massacres of 1994 and 1995 as part of the commemoration. He said the exhibition highlights the continuity of mass crimes committed during the 1,425-day siege.

Senida Karovic, president of the Union of Civilian Victims of War in Sarajevo Canton, expressed disappointment at the lack of accountability for the killings.

“For the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted 1,425 days and claimed more than 11,500 lives — including 1,601 children — we have only four verdicts from the Hague Tribunal, all on the basis of command responsibility,” she said.

Following the commemoration, the Institute opened its exhibition “Crimes at Markale: Killing and Wounding Civilians — Trials of Perpetrators, Denial of Truth, Resistance to Oblivion.” The display features documents, photographs, and video materials detailing the massacres at the Markale market during the siege.

The exhibition will run from August 29 to September 15 at the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.