Blog 11: Traveling through Central Bosnia

Traveling through Central Bosnia

 

Central Bosnia

From Lukavac we traveled via Doboj, Maglaj and Zenica to Busovaca and Santici located in the Lasva Valley which was one of the epi-centres of the Bosnian ethnic war. Our destination was Santici, Ahmici and Busovaca. Despite the fact that the best known area’s during the Bosnian war have been Sarajevo, Mostar and East Bosnia (Srebrencia, Gorazde and Zepa) and also the highest death toll can be counted in these area’s, the more unknown war between the Croats and the Muslims in Central Bosnia was intense and bitterly and lots of civilians have been massacred and withdrew from their houses. This ethnic war (most Croats against the Muslims) was fight between March 1993 to April 1994 in the more unknown places as Santici, Vitez, Ahmici, Kiseljak, Busovaca and Novi Travnik. In both Busovaca and Santici the Dutch and Belgium Transport Battallions were located to support the United Nations with food transports. Hundreds of Dutch soldiers were located in these compounds during the war.
The following "crazy" movie ("Warriors") clearly presents the daily life of (British) soldiers in Central Bosnia.

Doboj
Also Doboj was ethnical cleansed by the Bosnian Serbs and all the mosques in the town were razed to the ground and many non-Serbs were killed and withdrew from the city. Several thousand women of non-Serb origin were systematic raped and abused. Buses from in and around Belgrade brought men to the complex for the purpose of systematic raping of these women. The payment of money for this cruelty was part of the funding process by the various Serb para-military groups operating in the area around Doboj.
As revenge the Bosniak and Croatian forces heavily shelled Doboj throughout the entire war. More than 5,500 shells, mortar rounds, and other projectiles were fired into the city and 100 civilians were killed and more than 400 were wounded during the shelling.
Today Doboj is located in the Serbian part of Bosnia. Also Doboj contains an old fortress built from 13th to about early 15th century built on the ruins of an old Roman fortress from the 1st century. The down town city center is far from attractive due to the lack of any old historic architecture.

 

Maglaj

This city was besieged during 1993 and 1994 by the Serbs and heavily bombed and shelled and only airdrops could supply the population with food, however it was very dangerous to grab the food due to the snipers who shot on all civilians.

 

Zenica

During the war Zenica was isolated by the Croats from the rest of the world for a year and a half. The city a lot of civilian casualties from sniper fire, firefights and hunger. Bosnia's fourth-largest city had no water or electricity during the siege.
Today one of the biggest steel mills in South Central Europe has been privatized and now bears the name of the Mittal Steel Corp and is unfortunately also one of the most polluted Bosnian cities.

 

 

War carves
Today Central Bosnia is still carved with lots of sign regarding the last war. Not only houses contains still lots of bullet holes but also several parts are still not demined.

Mine danger still everywhere