HUMAN HUNTING AS A TACTIC OF URBAN WARFARE: ORAL NARRATIVES FROM THE SIEGE OF SARAJEVO (1992-1996)
HUMAN HUNTING AS A TACTIC OF URBAN WARFARE: ORAL NARRATIVES FROM THE SIEGE OF SARAJEVO (1992-1996)

Summary/Abstract: Focusing on oral narratives, this study examines how “human hunting” was used as a means of urban warfare during the Bosnian War. By foregrounding personal accounts, this paper aims to draw attention to lived experiences, exploring how individuals survived in a besieged city surrounded by sniper lines and unpredictable shelling, constantly directed against the population itself. During the 1,425-day-long siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996), almost 14,000 people were killed, of whom 1,600 were children. Sources indicate that civilians were deliberately targeted by the Bosnian Serb forces (VRS), which were in the hills surrounding the city. Sniper and artillery fire transformed everyday activities and urban spaces into zones of death and vulnerability, as markets, crossroads, tram stops, water queues, playgrounds, and schools became sites of shelling, sniper attacks and constant danger. Foreign journalists, photographers and correspondents who reported from Sarajevo throughout the siege described how civilians were constantly fired upon. They were tracked and targeted while carrying out routine activities, such as going to school or to the market. In addition, survivors` testimonies reveal a pattern of violence that exceeds incidental or accidental harm. Sources show that women, children, and elderly residents were frequently among the victims, reinforcing the idea that during the siege of Sarajevo, the city’s population itself had become the object of targeting.

• Details
• Contents