The Italian Embassy in Sarajevo recalled Gabriele Moreno Locatelli, an Italian pacifist, who was killed in Sarajevo on October 3, 1993, during the war in Bosnia, while he and volunteers from the Beati i Costruttori di Pace’ aid group intended to protest for an end to hostilities.

A sniper shot Locatelli as he was crossing the bridge while carrying a white flag. As a member of the ‘Beati i Costruttori di Pace’ (Blessed are the Peacemakers) Catholic aid group, Locatelli wanted to spread a message of peace to all of Europe.

Locatelli and other volunteers intended to lay a wreath at the site of the first two civilian casualties of the war, Suada Diliberovic and Olga Sucic, killed in April 1992, on the same bridge, during their peace demonstration.

Italian Ambassador to BiH Marco Di Ruzza, stressed during his tribute in Sarajevo that Locatelli, as the first Italian civilian victim of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a clear example of unconditional commitment to the service of one's neighbour against the blind hatred that bled the former Yugoslavia.

His sacrifice, he added, must be a source of inspiration for all those working to promote ways of reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are necessary for the perspective of joining the European Union and for BiH to develop into a modern multicultural and pluralistic society.

During the ceremony, held in the presence of citizens and representatives of the Italian community in Sarajevo, including several Italian EUFOR officers, Di Ruzza laid a wreath in front of Locatelli's memorial plaque on the Vrbanja Bridge, reiterating the importance of preserving memories of his commitment to building a better society.