Sarajevo marks anniversary of Presidency battle, a key moment in city’s defence

Officials from Canton Sarajevo laid flowers at several memorial sites, including Kovaci cemetery, Lav cemetery, the Stadion cemetery, the central memorial to fallen soldiers in Novi Grad, and the Veterans’ Alley at Vlakovo cemetery. The ceremonies formally marked the beginning of Sarajevo Canton Day commemorations.

The battle on May 2, 1992 marked the first major attempt to seize the centre of state authority in Sarajevo. Forces of the former Yugoslav People's Army, supported by paramilitary units, attempted to take control of the Presidency building and remove the country’s leadership.

The assault was repelled by members of the Territorial Defence and the Ministry of Interior of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who blocked armoured units near Skenderija, just a short distance from the Presidency building.

Although the attempt to capture key institutions failed, Sarajevo soon came under siege that would last more than 1,400 days - one of the longest sieges in modern history.

During this period, the city was subjected to constant shelling and sniper fire, while residents faced severe shortages of food, water and electricity. These events were later documented in cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

On the same day, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic was captured by JNA forces at Sarajevo Airport while returning from peace talks in Lisbon, along with members of his delegation. They were taken to Lukavica and later released as part of a negotiated exchange.

The events of May 2, 1992 - including images of burning buildings and shelling in central Sarajevo - quickly spread around the world, becoming a symbol of the beginning of the siege and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.