Attacks on Authorities in Bijeljina

Cvijetin Simic stated that Bosniak paramilitaries formed and armed by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) in late March 1992 “blocked” Bijeljina.By 1 April street fights had escalated, Simic said, and in the meeting for crisis management, the SDA refused to lift roadblocks and disarm the paramilitaries until United Nations observers arrive in the town. Simic concluded accordingly that Bosniak leaders wanted the conflict to last as long as possible. According to a witness, on 2 April Bosniak paramilitaries occupied the local hospital preventing civilians from being treated. “The lies of the media” is what Simic called the media reports about Serbs being the first to attack the town and that “thousands of Muslim victims were killed”.Karadzic, the former leader of Republika Srpska Serb Democratic Party and the president of Republika Srpska, was indicted for the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats in 20 municipalities, including Bijeljina. According to the indictment, Serb paramilitaries killed 48 people in Bijeljina during a forced takeover of the town in late March and early April 1992. Karadzic is on trial for the Srebrenica genocide, crimes committed in Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage. Witness Simic also stated that “Muslim leaders organised attacks on legitimate authorities” in Bijeljina while on the contrary, Serb officials attempted to work in favour of their citizens.Before Simic, Veljko Maric, a Foca sergeant testified for Karadzic stating that the town hospital provided help and shelter for citizens regardless of their nationality.During the cross-examination, prosecutor Amir Zec presented evidence to the witness that Bosniak children who were in the hospital had witnessed their families being expelled from the surrounding villages and that their close relatives were killed.Maric replied that he “was not aware” of any such events as he was working in the hospital. However, he corroborated that the hospital managers made an initiative to move the children to the territory controlled by the BiH Army in order to “reunite them with their parents.”The trial of Karadzic will continue on Wednesday, 20 March.