site.btaThirty Years after Operation Storm, Serbs, Croats Still Far from Forgiveness, Reconciliation

Military Operation Storm began thirty years ago, on August 4. While Croatia commemorates the date as Victory Day and Serbia marks it as Day of Remembrance, the register of victims on both sides remains incomplete.

The operation enabled Croatia to regain territories that had been claimed by Croatian Serbs in 1991 under the name Republika Srpska Krajina in opposition to Croatia’s secession from the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The offensive lasted 84 hours and a total of 10,400 square kilometres, or 18.4% of Croatia’s territory, were liberated.

According to the latest data from Croatian NGO Documenta, cited by regional TV channel N1, Operation Storm and five other military campaigns displaced some 220,000 Serbs. The civilian death toll stands at 1,170, including 1,055 Serbs and 60 Croats. A total of 918 soldiers and 228 individuals of mixed status were killed.

Aleksandar Popov, director of the Centre for Regionalism, said: “It is not right that in our country, we only speak of our victims, while in Croatia they only speak of theirs. Every victim deserves respect because they all died in a war where civilians were the primary casualties,” Popov told N1.

“In this region, across four countries that were involved in military conflicts, there is not even a shred of willingness to acknowledge the past. Every time our victims are mentioned, we hear that our victims who took part in the crimes are heroes and the others are villains. So, with that framing, there is no renewed understanding or trust. Unfortunately, this is used every time for internal purposes: in our country, it is used to divert attention from the protests that have been going on for nine months; in Croatia, it serves to homogenize the electorate.”

On Monday, a memorial service for Serb victims of Operation Storm was held at St Mark’s Church in Belgrade, attended by families and relatives of those killed. Similar services are being held in Orthodox churches across Serbia, Croatia, and Republika Srpska, RTS reported. Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic called for silent mourning, saying that those who mourn too loudly are seeking publicity.

The central commemorative event took place in Sremski Karlovci, northern Serbia, on Sunday. It was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Djuro Macut, and Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik. Serbian Patriarch Porfirije led a memorial service for the victims.

On July 31, a solemn military parade was held in Croatian capital Zagreb. Local media outlets described it as “the biggest military parade in the country’s history.”