Marking the Day of the Missing and Fallen in the Defense-Patriotic War is a moment of profound human pain, but also a call for unwavering perseverance in the search for truth and justice, President Milorad Dodik said.
“August 30 is a date of significance for Republika Srpska because it is a day when silence speaks louder than any words, when uncertainty grows ever greater, while remembrance remains the strongest bond with those who, even 31 years after the end of the Defense-Patriotic War, have still not found their final resting place on the soil of Republika Srpska,” Dodik said in a statement marking today’s commemoration of the Day of the Missing and Fallen in the Defense-Patriotic War at the Monastery of St. Nicholas on Mount Ozren, in the municipality of Petrovo.
He recalled that Republika Srpska is still searching for 1,616 people, including 981 civilians and 10 children.
“Imagine a parent, brother or sister who has still not found the remains of their loved ones. They continue to live through pain and grief, carrying an eternal wound that does not heal, because disappearance does not mean leaving and returning. This is far worse. It is a disappearance filled with uncertainty, years and decades of waiting. The disappearance of loved ones is a permanent uncertainty weighing on the souls of their families. Their lives, unfortunately, are condemned to waiting for news, with that waiting turning into decades of life suspended between hope and cruel reality,” Dodik said.
He stressed that every name on the list of missing persons is not merely part of the figure of 1,616 or simply a statistic, but someone’s father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, neighbor, friend or fellow citizen.
“Behind every name is a life and a home still waiting. A mother who looked through the window, a father who hoped for a return, and who today may no longer be alive, having gone to the grave carrying an eternal wound. Perhaps a wife, sister or brother remains, preserving memories and still hoping, or a child who grew up without a father, with only a photograph and the eternal question: ‘Why did you never come home, Dad?’” Dodik said.
He noted that the years continue to pass, but the waiting does not end, while hope mixed with sorrow remains that families will one day find a trace of their loved ones and a place where they can light a candle with dignity.
“They were people with their own dreams, hopes and plans, violently cut short by war. After giving their lives for Republika Srpska and becoming part of its foundations, their repeated killing has continued for 31 years, day after day, while every new day brings families fresh hope that the remains of their loved ones will finally be found. That uncertainty continues to devastate not only their souls, but all of us who live in Republika Srpska,” Dodik said.
By commemorating this day, Dodik said, Republika Srpska is not speaking only about the past, but also about the present and future, as well as the moral obligation of every resident of Republika Srpska not to forget, to continue the search and finally determine the fate of every missing person, soldier and civilian.
“As long as there is even one person without a grave, or whose grave remains unknown, we cannot and must not be at peace. We cannot stand by and watch our compatriots live lives filled with uncertainty while still hoping that justice will one day be served. Most importantly, from both a human and Christian perspective, we must not allow time to do the worst possible thing — to cover with oblivion what must never be forgotten,” Dodik said.
He added that while paying tribute to the missing, words of comfort must also be offered to those who suffered the greatest losses and who, with faith and patience, continue to hope that they will finally find peace.
“Let this day remind us of the immeasurable value of life, the pain of loss and our responsibility to preserve the truth. The search for our missing must continue, even though in this quasi-state called BiH it has long since become political and selective when it comes to Serbs,” Dodik said.
He said this was also illustrated by figures showing that, out of 1,207 people identified in 2009, only 22 were Serbs, while 10 Serbs were identified in 2008 and 11 in 2007.
Dodik said that if the Missing Persons Institute continues working at this “pace” when it comes to locating missing Serbs, it would take more than 150 years to find and identify the 1,660 people being sought.
He stressed that families of missing persons have the right to receive answers regardless of how much time has passed or their ethnicity, but claimed that the Institute’s treatment of Serb victims once again demonstrated that it was a political institution, despite having an exceptionally humanitarian mandate and being an institution to which every family searching for loved ones turns with anxiety and hope.
“Despite everything, Republika Srpska and its institutions will not give up, because we do not forget, we do not surrender and we seek the truth. This is precisely why preserving collective memory and continuing the search for all missing persons is so important, as is ensuring that their families receive truth, justice and dignity,” Dodik said.
He stressed that for families who have spent decades living in uncertainty and waiting, finding their missing loved ones is a matter of life that cannot be compared with anything else.
For everyone in Republika Srpska, he said, this remains one of the most important issues, as well as a lasting obligation to ensure that the fate of the missing and their families is never consigned to oblivion.
“Time passes, but remembrance must not fade. It is our duty to preserve the memory of those who never returned to their homes, to respect their families and to pass the truth and a culture of remembrance on to future generations,” Dodik said.
The commemoration of the Day of the Missing, an event of significance for Republika Srpska, is organized by the Republika Srpska Government Committee for Fostering the Traditions of Liberation Wars.
Since 2021, Republika Srpska has observed the Day of the Missing and Fallen in the Defense-Patriotic War on August 30, which is also the International Day of the Disappeared, established in remembrance of victims of wars, crimes against humanity and human rights violations.
Source: RTRS
