The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the NATO Bombing of Republika Srpska in 1994 and 1995 is a day on which we reaffirm our enduring obligation to those who lost their lives, their families, and future generations, President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan said.
Speaking ahead of today’s commemoration in East Sarajevo, Karan stressed that remembering the victims is a matter of historical responsibility and fundamental human dignity.
“NATO carried out an aggression against Republika Srpska, during which members of the Army of Republika Srpska and civilians were killed, while many others were wounded. Behind the statistics, however, there are always people, families and individual lives. The passage of time must never become a reason to remain silent about their suffering,” Karan said.
He said the use of depleted uranium ammunition during the NATO bombing of Republika Srpska represented what he described as an inhumane act and a lasting crime against the Serb people, arguing that the consequences did not end with the final air strike or explosion.
“The fact that even today we are facing serious malignant diseases among the population obliges us never to stop seeking historical accountability for this aggression. Law and justice must apply equally to everyone. International law must not become the law of the stronger, nor can human rights be interpreted differently depending on which nation the victim belongs to,” Karan told Srna.
He stressed that Republika Srpska has both the right and the obligation to preserve a culture of remembrance in order to safeguard the dignity of the victims and their families, as well as the right of future generations to know what happened.
“Our message is clear — Republika Srpska will not forget its victims and will not accept attempts to consign them to silence. We are building our future on peace, freedom, constitutional order, respect for the law, and the preservation of Republika Srpska in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement. We owe this to those who suffered, but even more so to those who are alive today and to the generations that will follow,” President of Republika Srpska Siniša Karan concluded.
Source: RTRS
