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Case Summary
In 1992, the Omarska/Ljubija mine complex near Prijedor, north-west Bosnia-Hercegovina, was used by Serbian authorities as a camp to hold Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) and Bosnian Croat civilians - part of a campaign of genocide, according to the International Criminal Tribunal. Thousands were tortured, raped and humiliated, and hundreds were killed. Since the war, Omarska and the Prijedor region have formed part of a new ethnically-based entity, Republika Srpska, that was created as a result.
Context
Despite hostility and intimidation, the Bosniak community that was ethnically cleansed in 1992 has been slowly returning to Kozarac and Prijedor, and some brave individuals have gradually sought to puncture the bubble of denial that surrounds Republika Srpska. For the past few years, a group of survivors has braved violence and obstruction to visit the buildings that formed the Omarska camp; but the general atmosphere among Serbs is complete, myopic denial.
In 2004, the UK-based company Mittal Steel effectively purchased the mine as part of a joint venture with Serb-run RZR Ljubija. This raised two questions:
1. What about the bodies still believed to be buried in the mine complex?
According to the news magazine BH Dani, up to 1,700 bodies are still estimated to be concealed somewhere within the mine complex, and indeed the sale of the site to Mittal may have been inspired in part by a desire by local Serb authorities to destroy the evidence of their crimes.
2. How will Mittal allow Bosniaks to commemorate the camp?
There is almost universal agreement that survivors of the Omarska camp and families of the missing have an undeniable right to commemorate the events of 1992 on the site where the camp existed. It is unthinkable that the world's biggest steel compay, with brand equity to maintaiin, would allow production to resume and the camp buildings to be used without a proper memorial.
The Story so far
To its credit, Mittal Steel responded responsibly by seeking a memorial solution, and by appointing mediators to facilitate one that all concerned can agree upon. Tough brief. They gave control of the process - deciding the form of an Omarska Memorial - to a tiny British charity, Soul of Europe, who set about rushing through a mixed up, ill-considered and contentious Memorial plan that does not meet the needs of survivors.
Funded by Mittal to act as "mediators", Soul of Europe instead sought to impose their own personal reconciliation agenda onto the idea of a memorial for survivors and families of the dead, with insufficient consultation and transparency.
Memorial, attempted reconciliation project or PR exercise?
Mittal want the mine producing; many Serbs want jobs and investment; survivors want a memorial without disturbing either of the former. A solution to this situation is achievable, especially given Mittal's entirely responsible attitude to date. If Mittal Steel also want to fund reconciliation, that would be great; but there must also be a memorial. The RS wikipedia entry talk page shows how ambitious it would be to even agree on the name of the political entity in which Omarska is located, let alone a common explanation of what happened in the summer of 1992.
There is widespread agreement on the need for survivors and families of the missing to play a leading role in designing a memorial project. Their biggest problem is capacity, not agreement on garden design. Instead of wasting time trying to facilitate Serb-Bosniak agreement on a Memorial, a Foundation led by survivors and families of the missing needs to be established. This Foundation needs resources, time and some help in structuring a process through which decisions about the design and operation of an Omarska Memorial can be made. This will, indeed probably should, take a long time. It is an important stage, a catharsis for some, especially for those affected by the crimes of 1992, and should not be rushed.
Solutions
It seems logical to think in terms of simple steps, such as:
- Mittal lease the main area (White House and surrounding areas) to a Foundation that they help resource.*
- Mittal agrees to transfer any operational buildings over a reasonable period of time (perhaps a year or more) allowing the mine to build new facilities wherever needed for mining.
- Mittal funds a rapid assessment by the ICMP to remove any doubt about the presence of mass graves in the mine complex.
- Survivor representatives as well as the Foundation, agree to thank Mittal Steel formally and support the mine in its role as an invaluable employer in Prijedor.
- Reconciliation facilitators such as Soul of Europe work closely with mine workers and local Serbs (with whom they have developed an excellent rapport) to help them understand this is not about collective guilt or blame.
There are some basic questions that need asking and answering by the survivors and families of the dead, such as:
- what is it?
- who is it for?
- how should it be done?
It seems worthwhile recording how this decision, a big one in the history of Bosnia and its peoples, is reached. There is an urgent need for some meaningful consultation about the process.
To this end, we invite survivors and families of those connected with the Omarska camp to register for edit rights on any page of this wiki (send email to omwatch@googlemail.com ) - everyone has the same editing rights regardless of opinion. Everyone else is invited to comment, even if you feel you don't know enough of the background. Comments will only be deleted if off-topic or offensive.
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