A tribute to Mušan Topalović, known as Caco, the former commander of the 10th Mountain Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has sparked strong reactions from Republika Srpska officials, reopening painful questions about the treatment of Serb victims murdered at Kazani and other detention and execution sites in Sarajevo during the war.
Goran Šehovac, Deputy Chairman of the Presidency of the Republika Srpska Veterans’ Organization, and East Sarajevo Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić condemned the tribute to Topalović, whom Serb representatives accuse of committing crimes against Sarajevo Serbs.
Both officials argued that honoring Topalović insults the memory of murdered Serb civilians and deepens existing divisions.
Speaking to SRNA, Šehovac claimed that Topalović not only ordered the killings of Sarajevo Serbs but also personally participated in the crimes.
“When it comes to Caco, he is their hero, but when it comes to our generals, they are criminals. We will never accept that,” Šehovac said.
He also alleged that the number of Serbs murdered at Kazani has been manipulated and accused certain political circles in Sarajevo of obstructing efforts to establish the full number of victims.
Kazani – a site of suffering for Sarajevo Serbs
The Kazani pit, located on the slopes of Mount Trebević above Sarajevo, is one of the sites where Sarajevo Serbs were murdered during 1992 and 1993, with their bodies thrown into a natural crevice.
Members of the 10th Mountain Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, commanded by Mušan Topalović, were responsible for crimes committed at Kazani.
According to statements cited in the report, there are suspicions that more than 100 bodies of murdered Sarajevo Serbs were dumped in the Trebević area.
Šehovac claimed that evidence concerning these crimes exists within the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH but that there is insufficient willingness to fully establish the fate of all victims.
He also recalled crimes committed against Serbs in basements and detention facilities throughout Sarajevo, alleging that Topalović personally participated in some of these acts.
Ćosić: Serb victims must not be forgotten
East Sarajevo Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić said that paying tribute to Topalović reflects the attitude of certain circles in Sarajevo toward Serb victims, who, he argued, still do not receive adequate respect.
“It is completely pathological that someone should continuously harbor such hatred toward Serbs and celebrate a person who murdered Serb civilians more than 30 years ago,” Ćosić told SRNA.
He emphasized that such actions reopen the wounds of victims’ families and contribute to the marginalization of Serb suffering in public remembrance.
Ćosić stressed that he would never honor a Serb who had murdered innocent civilians, regardless of the victims’ ethnicity.
“We pay tribute to our generals, our military commanders who did not kill innocent people who were unable to defend themselves or protect their own lives,” Ćosić stated.
Tribute to Topalović sparks controversy
Several days ago, former members of the Green Berets paid tribute to Mušan Topalović Caco in Sarajevo, prompting criticism from Republika Srpska representatives.
Šehovac questioned whether it was acceptable to honor a man he considers among those most responsible for war crimes against Sarajevo Serbs.
Ćosić warned that such gestures inflict renewed pain on the families of victims.
The Kazani crimes remain among the most sensitive issues in Sarajevo’s efforts to confront its wartime past.
Republika Srpska representatives continue to demand a more comprehensive investigation into the suffering of Serb civilians and equal recognition of all victims, without selective remembrance.
The renewed tribute to Topalović has once again raised questions about how individuals associated with wartime atrocities are commemorated and whether the suffering of all civilian victims is treated with equal dignity and respect.
Source: Glas Srpske
