Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić has called on the authorities of the Federation of BiH to ensure normal living conditions for Serb returnees and protect their property and cultural heritage.
Minić stressed that the increasingly frequent reports of vandalism targeting Serbian Orthodox cemeteries in the Federation of BiH are unacceptable.
Desecration of Serbian cemetery near Kladanj condemned
“The desecration of gravestones in Vučinići, near Kladanj, is yet another act of vandalism against the Serb people,” Minić wrote on the social media platform X.
He emphasized that families who lost their homes deserve, at the very least, to know that the graves of their loved ones will remain undisturbed.
Damaged and toppled gravestones were discovered last week at the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in the village of Vučinići, near Kladanj.
The incident has renewed concerns about the protection of Serbian cultural and religious heritage in areas where the Serb population has declined significantly since the war.
Sharp decline in Serb population in Kladanj
According to the 1991 population census, at least 4,100 Serbs lived in the municipality of Kladanj, accounting for approximately 26 percent of the local population.
By the 2013 census, that number had fallen to just 107 Serbs, representing 0.9 percent of the municipality’s population.
Minić called on the Federation of BiH authorities to fulfill their responsibility to protect Serb returnees, their property and the graves of their ancestors, emphasizing the importance of ensuring security and dignity for all communities.
Source: RTRS
