Hundreds of Serbs gathered at Republic Square in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, on Saturday to express the “unity of the Serbian nation.”
The demonstrators included residents from Serbia and the Republika Srpska (RS), the predominantly Serbian autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose leader Milorad Dodik has recently voiced threats of secession.
The event comes after the United Nations voted for establishing an annual day of remembrance on July 11 to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide that saw over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims murdered in 1995 by Bosnian Serbs.
Wrapped in national colors, Serbs arrived at the square with their families and groups of friends, celebrating the “unity of the nation” regardless of age. National ensembles sang patriotic songs, and traditional dances, such as the circle dance, were performed.
As part of the event under the slogan “One nation, one parliament - Serbia and [Republika] Srpska,” a service was held for Serbia and the RS, followed by a joint session of the governments and festivities in the center of the “capital of all Serbs.”
Speaking to the crowd waving Serbian flags, politicians pledged to “continue the fight for the nation’s interests,” stressing that “while peace is crucial,” they will persist in advocating for the nation’s interests.
Among the gathered, banners emphasizing the unity of Serbs, belonging to Kosovo (the former province not recognized by Belgrade—TVP World), and the nation’s suffering were displayed. “The media are silent about the victims of NATO aggression,” read one of the slogans.
Vučić laments lack of acknowledgment for Serbian victims
In 1999, NATO carried out airstrikes on targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia without authorization from the U.N. Security Council, aiming to end the war in Kosovo. The bombings lasted for 78 days, during which about 28,000 bombs were dropped. According to estimates by the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), around 500 civilians were killed in the airstrikes.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that“for 30 years, we haven’t even heard a word of consolation for Serbian victims.”
He continued: “Serbia is always to blame, Belgrade is always guilty. And it will always be like that; we must understand this well. However, there are slow changes occurring in the world.”
He added that Saturday’s event is particularly important because an agreement on the unity of Serbs has been reached, and it was agreed that “in the future, every minister in the Serbian government should first go to Banja Luka (the administrative center of the RS—TVP World), and “our children will be the first to go on trips to the Republika Srpska.”
“Our unity will not last days, months, or even years, but entire centuries,” Vučić said.
Although on Friday RS President Milorad Dodik announced a referendum on the region’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vučić assured on Saturday that “not a word was spoken about the division of BiH on that day.”
Dodik, however, assured that “peace will remain crucial, but the fight will still be necessary in pursuing goals and realizing the interests of the Serbian people so that we do not allow others to impose anything on us.”
Serbia is one of the most staunch allies of Russia in Europe. Since 2012, the populist Serbian Progressive Party has been in power, leaning towards authoritarianism and favoring maintaining close ties with the Kremlin at the cost of EU integration.
The event comes after the United Nations voted for establishing an annual day of remembrance on July 11 to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide that saw over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims murdered in 1995 by Bosnian Serbs.
Wrapped in national colors, Serbs arrived at the square with their families and groups of friends, celebrating the “unity of the nation” regardless of age. National ensembles sang patriotic songs, and traditional dances, such as the circle dance, were performed.
As part of the event under the slogan “One nation, one parliament - Serbia and [Republika] Srpska,” a service was held for Serbia and the RS, followed by a joint session of the governments and festivities in the center of the “capital of all Serbs.”
Speaking to the crowd waving Serbian flags, politicians pledged to “continue the fight for the nation’s interests,” stressing that “while peace is crucial,” they will persist in advocating for the nation’s interests.
“There’s no such thing as a Serbian from Serbia or a Serbian from Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Serb is a Serb, and that’s why this day is so important; the more joint initiatives and actions, the better,” one of the demonstrators told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).The leadership of #Serbia and the #RepublikaSrpska (as part of BiH) signed a declaration declaring all Serbs in the region “one nation with a common history.” As part of the All-Serbia Council in #Belgrade, a colorful procession in national costumes also took place. pic.twitter.com/YFXbXYUTt6
— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) June 9, 2024
Among the gathered, banners emphasizing the unity of Serbs, belonging to Kosovo (the former province not recognized by Belgrade—TVP World), and the nation’s suffering were displayed. “The media are silent about the victims of NATO aggression,” read one of the slogans.
Vučić laments lack of acknowledgment for Serbian victims
In 1999, NATO carried out airstrikes on targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia without authorization from the U.N. Security Council, aiming to end the war in Kosovo. The bombings lasted for 78 days, during which about 28,000 bombs were dropped. According to estimates by the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), around 500 civilians were killed in the airstrikes.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that“for 30 years, we haven’t even heard a word of consolation for Serbian victims.”
He continued: “Serbia is always to blame, Belgrade is always guilty. And it will always be like that; we must understand this well. However, there are slow changes occurring in the world.”
He added that Saturday’s event is particularly important because an agreement on the unity of Serbs has been reached, and it was agreed that “in the future, every minister in the Serbian government should first go to Banja Luka (the administrative center of the RS—TVP World), and “our children will be the first to go on trips to the Republika Srpska.”
“Our unity will not last days, months, or even years, but entire centuries,” Vučić said.
Although on Friday RS President Milorad Dodik announced a referendum on the region’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vučić assured on Saturday that “not a word was spoken about the division of BiH on that day.”
Dodik, however, assured that “peace will remain crucial, but the fight will still be necessary in pursuing goals and realizing the interests of the Serbian people so that we do not allow others to impose anything on us.”
Serbia is one of the most staunch allies of Russia in Europe. Since 2012, the populist Serbian Progressive Party has been in power, leaning towards authoritarianism and favoring maintaining close ties with the Kremlin at the cost of EU integration.
Source: PAP, TVP World
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