White Ribbon Day commemorated in Prijedor with calls for memorial

The commemoration program began with a gathering in the Old Town, at the site designated for the memorial to the murdered children of Prijedor. Participants then walked to the city square, where a central assembly was held and 102 roses, each bearing the name of a child killed during the war, were laid.

Organizers from the civic initiative "Jer me se tiče" ("Because it concerns me") emphasized that White Ribbon Day is observed as an act of remembrance for the victims of war crimes committed in the Prijedor area, as well as a warning regarding the consequences of discrimination, persecution, and violence.

Fikret Bacic, speaking on behalf of the parents of the murdered children, once again called upon local authorities to authorize the construction of a monument for the 102 children of Prijedor.

"We stand here with you every year wearing white armbands and repeating the demand to erect a memorial for the murdered children of Prijedor. We have the support of the people who come every year and the media who cover this date, but so far, it has not been enough for local authorities to issue a construction permit for the memorial," Bacic stated.

He called on Prijedor Mayor Slobodan Javor to, as he put it, take responsibility toward future generations and allow a permanent marking of the children's suffering.

"Yesterday, representatives of local authorities commemorated the Day of Defense of Prijedor, yet no one mentioned the murdered children. Who were they defending Prijedor from? Did they defend the city from my Nermina and Nermin?" Bacic asked.

For years, White Ribbon Day has gathered survivors, families of the victims, human rights activists, and citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, who pay tribute to the victims on May 31 and emphasize the need for confronting the past and building a culture of remembrance based on facts and respect for all victims.