War in Bosnia and Genocide in Srebrenica: A photographic narrative
Posted on: 26 Jun 2012
Written by: Ngaire Ackerley
I recently travelled from Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina, seeing the ever-present trail of destruction from the war on Yugoslavia that occurred during the 1990s, in particular the Bosnian war.
Growing up in New Zealand I knew about the war in Bosnia but not nearly enough. Visiting Mostar, Sarajevo and Srebrenica really hit home how terrible the war was. I don’t think I have ever seen so many graves and cemeteries as I did amongst the beautiful landscapes of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina were affected at different times from 1992 to 1996. Sarajevo experienced a siege for over three and a half years and Srebrenica was affected by a massacre that was the worst atrocity in Europe since the end of World War II.
During my visit in Bosnia I met a variety of people that had all experienced different aspects of the war. It was heartbreaking and eye opening to listen to their stories as I walked around the their home towns. The cities and towns are far from restored to the way they once were, but they are definitely improving. Walking through these places gave me a sense of respect for the people that still live there, despite everything that has happened it is still their home.
I highly recommend travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a beautiful country, the water is so clear and the landscapes are some of the most vibrant ones I have ever seen. Today Bosnia and Herzegovina is a safe place and it is important that people see, learn and understand about the human destruction that occurred here. The 1990s were not long ago, it goes to show how easily something as terrible as this could happen in our future.
The more we understand the more we can prevent.
The following two photographic narratives document the damage of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the death caused by the Srebrenica genocide. Locations include Mostar, Sarajevo and Srebrenica.
In July of 1995 over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys from Srebrenica were murdered after the town was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladic.
For more photographs view Ngaire’s travel photography portfolio based on Bosnia and Herzegovina »
For more information about the Bosnian war Ngaire recommends watching the BBC documentary called ‘The Death of Yugoslavia’ and more information can also be found through the following links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18462035
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17617775
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