Sarajevo u opsadi 1992‒1995: Život i stradanje srpskog stanovništva
Sarajevo Under Siege, 1992–1995: The Life and Suffering of the Serbian Population

Summary/Abstract: This paper analyzes the life of the Serbian population in the part of the city of Sarajevo that, during the 1992–1995 war, was under siege by units of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), and later by the Army of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from August 1992 known as the Army of Republika Srpska). The military formations that encircled Sarajevo during the four-year siege, with the aim of gaining control over the city, carried out a "coordinated, systematic, and prolonged campaign of shelling and sniper activity” intended to "kill, maim, wound, and terrorize the civilian population of Sarajevo.” The paper covers key aspects of everyday life in the besieged city, including social and political activities, material culture and living conditions, as well as forms of civilian suffering. Special emphasis is placed on the position of the Serbian population that remained in Sarajevo after April 1992 and who, together with other citizens, were exposed to systematic shelling and sniper fire, as well as to shortages of basic existential resources such as water, electricity, and gas. The paper examines in detail the establishment, activities, and significance of social organizations of the Serbian community, primarily the Serbian Consultative Council and the Serbian Civic Council. Through an analysis of their activities, the contribution of these organizations to the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the protection of human and civil rights, and the affirmation of equality and democratic principles under wartime conditions is demonstrated. Special attention is also devoted to religious life in the besieged city and to the activities of the humanitarian organization Dobrotvor. A separate section of the paper addresses the problems and forms of violence to which the Serbian population in Sarajevo was exposed, including an analysis of the extent of judicial prosecution of crimes. Through a comparative review of available lists of killed and missing Serbs, verified through relevant archival and judicial sources as well as scholarly research, the reliability of the data and differences among the records are assessed. By using credible archival materials, judicial documentation from international and domestic courts, final court judgments, scholarly research, and other relevant sources, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the various dimensions of life and suffering of the Serbian population within the besieged part of Sarajevo and contributes to an understanding of the complexity of wartime everyday life in a multiethnic urban environment.

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