Balkans Part 3

We were in Mostar today. It was one of the towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina which experienced much of the conflict during the Bosnian War. Many of the bombed out buildings were still standing even fifteen years after the conflict. I suppose there are issues to do with property ownership and problems with deciding what to do with these properties. Still, they are a bitter reminder of the conflict. We visited a youth center which provides social space for youth from both Bosnian Muslim and Croatian communities. It is the only one of its kind in Mostar. There are still really obvious divisions between the two ethnic groups in Mostar. We recieved a talk from one of the women who runs the center. The lack of progress since the war fifteen years ago is quite sobering. I discovered the Bosnian government provides very little financial support for initiatives such as this one. This is interesting as many know that the main problem blocking progress in Bosnia is the ethnic divisions and the challenges associated with reconciliation. The biggest source of support for the center came from international donors. The problem is that since the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the focus of the international community has shifted. As a result, less money is being sent to Bosnia. The international community seems to think that the situation has been resolved when in fact it has not. This is reflected in the higher politics of Bosnia. The Office of the High Representative seems unwilling to intervene and press the Bosnian politicians to form a government, even though it has been four months since the elections. This is because there is very little political will to do this. The Office of the High Representative no longer has the resources it had in the past when Bosnia was higher on the agenda of the international community. The dominant view at this stage is that the Bosnians should take responsibility for their future and not rely on the international community. This is extremely difficult for them to do though when the structure they are working within, which was created by the international community, is one of the major obstacles. Of course, it is very easy to criticise the international community. We criticise when they intervene, and then we criticise when they pull out. This is not constructive. Both the international community and Bosnians are responsible for moving the situation forward. Bosnians are responsible for forgiving each other and overcoming their differences. This is their choice. There is very little the international community can do in this sense other than support initiatives such as the one in Mostar and others in the country. The fact that the Bosnian government displays very little regard for such initiatives is worrying. This needs to change. The international community on the other hand has a responsiblity for supporting Bosnia to reform the structure they put in place after the war. This is something the Bosnians evidently need help with. Again, the shift in focus on the international scene means that this may not happen for a while. Anyway, I still need to learn much more to draw such conclusions, so I'll leave it at that!
After Mostar, we continued on to a Cold War nuclear bunker built for the President of Yugoslavia, Josip Tito. It was located in the mountains surrounding Sarajevo and disguised by an ordinary house infront of a cliff. The road leading up to the house was guarded by a Bosnian soldier. There was also a sign warning of landmines around the hillside. The bunker itself was fascinating. I have attached a few pictures below.
So that was my day. When back in Sarajevo, we had dinner in a Morrocan restaurant in the old town. I'm ready to hit the sack now. Tomorrow, I'm meeting with the British Ambassador for Bosnia in the morning and with the Chief of Staff to the first Bosnian President. Looks like it will be an interesting day, again!