The suffering of Bosniaks in the recent war in the area of Sućeska in the municipality of Srebrenica

Abstract

Sućeska is a physio-geographical and anthropogeographical area in the northwestern part of the Srebrenica municipality. In the narrow sense, this area is bordered by Zeleni Jadar river canyon in the south and the valley of the Bukovica river in the north. In a broader sense, the area of Sućeska includes the area between the upper basin of the Potočari River, in the north, and plateau of Podravnje, in the south. The western border is the valley of the river Zeleni Jadar, and in the east it is the area of springs of the Kazani river and Kutlicka river. These boundaries of the Sućeska region should be taken on a conditional basis, because in the defining boundaries of an area should also be consider the anthropogeographical features of the area, such as the historical development of the area, ethno-geographical and cultural-geographical features, then the sense of mutual affiliation to some geographical area, etc. In the Middle Ages, area of Sućeska belonged to the Trebotići parish, with a much larger area, which included a large part of the upper and middle river flow of the river Zeleni Jadar.Taking into account cultural, ethnographic and historical facts, the geographic area of Sućeska includes the following inhabited places: Bostahovine, Brakovci, Bučinovići, Bučje, Kutuzero, Lipovac, Opetci, Podgaj, Podosoje, Slatina, Staroglavice, Sućeska i Žedanjsko. The area of Sućeska is approximately 64.3 square kilometers and covers the territory of thirteen populated places in the northwestern part of the municipality of Srebrenica. According to the population census of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1991, there were 638 households in the area of Sućeska, with an average size of 5.1 members, and a total population of 3,291 members, mostly Bosniaks ethnicity. According to the latest census of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted in 2013, 1,475 people (757 women) lived in Sucesska, of which 1,461 Bosniak people (751 women). The paper presents the most important demographic consequences of war suffering of Bosniaks, in the area of Sućeska, in the municipality of Srebrenica, particulary during the genocide in so called "UN Safe Area of Srebrenica" , in July 1995. During the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, 118 Bosniak were killed, including 33 of the female, of the average age of 38.1 years. The average age of killed men was 36.4 years. Number of the widows whose husbands were killed is 50, with 111 children orphans, with an average age of 10.6 years. During the genocide, 619 people were killed, including 9 women, with the average age of 60.1 years. The average age of killed men, the victims of genocide, was 35.6 years. Number of the widows whose husbands were killed is 383, with 624 children orphans, with an average age of 7.9 years. Until today, there are less than 500 Bosniaks living in the area of Sućeska, and more than 600 people whose living outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly in the United States of America.