Balkans-17- When Neighbours became enemies

“The greatest tragedy of war is not that strangers fight one another, but that neighbours do.” By the spring of 1992… Yugoslavia no longer existed as it once had. Slovenia had left. Croatia had fought for its independence. Now the eyes of the world turned towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unlike the other republics, Bosnia was different. It was not dominated by one single people. It was home to three large communities. Bosniaks, who were mostly Muslim. Serbs, who were mainly Orthodox Christians. Croats, who were largely Catholic. For centuries they had shared the same towns… The same markets… The same schools… Often the same streets. Many families celebrated one another’s religious holidays. Children grew up together. Friends married across ethnic and religious lines. In many places, identity simply wasn’t something people thought about every day. They were neighbours. Workmates. Football supporters. Classmates. The idea that these same communities would soon be killing one another seemed unimaginable. Yet history has shown us many times that societies can change remarkably quickly when fear replaces trust. ⸻ After Croatia declared independence, Bosnia faced a choice. Remain inside what was left of Yugoslavia… Or become an independent nation. A referendum was held in early 1992. Most Bosniaks and Croats voted for independence. Many Bosnian Serbs boycotted the vote, believing they should remain closely linked with Serbia. When Bosnia declared independence… Everything changed. The political disagreements that had been growing for years suddenly became armed conflict. ⸻ It is important to understand something. This was not a war because ordinary Muslims hated ordinary Christians. Nor was it simply because Serbs hated Croats. The vast majority of people had far more in common with one another than the politicians suggested. Most simply wanted to live peacefully. They wanted to raise children… Go to work… Pay the bills… Celebrate birthdays… Watch football… And grow old. But when fear is repeated often enough… People begin to believe that if they do not fight first… Someone else will destroy them. History contains many examples of this. Fear is one of the most powerful weapons ever created. ⸻ Nationalist leaders promised they could protect “their people.” Television repeated stories of past atrocities. Old wounds, some dating back generations, were reopened. Many people genuinely believed another community intended to wipe them out. Whether those fears were justified or exaggerated often became less important than the fact they were believed. And belief can become reality. As Yugoslavia’s federal army fractured… Weapons spread across Bosnia. Local militias formed. Roadblocks appeared almost overnight. Communities that had lived peacefully together suddenly found themselves separated by armed men. One day… Your neighbour was mowing his lawn. The next… He might be wearing a military uniform. Sometimes people joined willingly. Sometimes they joined because they were afraid. Sometimes because everyone else was joining. Sometimes because refusing could place their own family in danger. War rarely gives people simple choices. ⸻ In village after village… Families packed suitcases. Some believed they would return in a few days. Many locked their front doors. They kept the keys. They thought they would soon come home. Some still carry those keys today. Even though the houses they belonged to no longer exist. ⸻ The fighting spread rapidly across Bosnia. Towns were shelled. Historic buildings burned. Places of worship belonging to every community were destroyed. Ancient bridges that had connected people for centuries became symbols of a country being torn apart. The world watched television images unlike anything seen in Europe since the Second World War. Columns of frightened civilians. Refugees carrying children. Smoke rising above familiar towns. Neig

Balkans-17-When Neighbours become enemies