MEMORIAL PUBLICATION ON ŽEPA DEBT TO FALLEN SOLDIERS AND TRUTH – JUNE 19

The memorial publication on Žepa addresses the tragic events of June 4–6, 1992, when 45 Serb soldiers of a mixed combat group, composed largely of Pale municipality residents, were ambushed and killed in the Žepa River canyon. The time has come for its publication, which will soon be presented to the public. By Maja Brčkalo

PALE, JUNE 13 /SRNA/ – The memorial publication “Žepa, June 1992” by historian Stefan Lopatić will be promoted on June 19 in Pale; it preserves the memory of one of the most difficult periods for the municipality and the Sarajevo-Romanija region - the deaths of 45 Serb soldiers who were ambushed by members of the so-called Army of BiH. The publication represents a debt owed to the 45 fallen sodliers and an effort to preserve the testimonies of participants while documenting events that left a deep mark on the region. Its preparation has been the most significant activity undertaken by the leadership of the Pale War Veterans Organisation. Lopatić told SRNA that the work took three years to complete because of the complexity of the research and the limited availability of historical sources. He noted that there was a danger that the valuable memories of surviving participants could be permanently lost, making the collection of testimonies one of the most important aspects of the project. “The publication deals with the tragic events of June 4–6, 1992, when a mixed combat group, largely composed of Pale municipality residents, suffered a tragic fate in Žepa, specifically at the location known as Budičin Potok in the Žepa River canyon,” Lopatić explained. Lopatić, who is also a historian, assessed that the events in Žepa left lasting consequences not only for the direct participants but also for the entire local community. He added that research into these events has not been completed and that the publication officially concludes only the first phase of the investigation. The speaker of the Pale War Veterans Organisation’s Presidency Jasna Lazarević Gavrilović stated that the publication is one of the most important projects launched by the organisation in recent years, aimed at clarifying the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Serb soldiers in Žepa on the basis of facts and testimonies. Gavrilović, whose father was among those killed in Žepa, emphasized that the publication has special significance for the families of the fallen as it serves as a permanent testimony to people who gave their lives in defence of their people. She stressed that a large number of individuals participated in the three-year research effort, particularly surviving soldiers whose testimonies made an invaluable contribution. “The trauma experienced by those who survived these events is still present today, not only among them but also within their families,” Gavrilović said. She noted that the initiative to prepare the publication began after an inaccurate characterization of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the Serb soldiers was discovered in a military document. According to her, they could not allow such a claim to remain recorded as a historical fact, which is why they launched research and gathered documentation to determine what had actually happened. A column of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of the Republika Srpska Army was brutally attacked on June 4, 1992, while moving toward Mount Zlovrh with the task of delivering food and water to 13 soldiers guarding a radio-relay facility on the peak. An agreement had reportedly been reached with the Muslim side allowing the Serb soldiers safe passage. However, that agreement was violated and the Serb troops were ambushed from behind. The members of the so-called Army of BiH captured 12 prisoners, confined them in a nearby barn, and burned them alive. This was one of the deadliest incidents involving members of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps during the 1992–1995 war in BiH. A memorial dedicated to the murdered Serb soldiers is located between Han Pijesak and Rogatica, on the line between the villages of Podžeplje, Stoborani, and Krivače, which belong to the municipality of Han Pijesak, and the local community of Žepa in Rogatica.