How do you inform a family that lost a loved one to genocide that they may have buried the wrong remains?
This sensitive dilemma confronts missing persons organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are working to account for approximately 7,000 individuals still unaccounted for nearly three decades after the Bosnian War, which lasted from 1992 to 1995.
Simultaneously, the remains of nearly 2,000 individuals remain unidentified in the country’s mortuaries. This raises the troubling prospect that some families may not claim these bodies, mistakenly believing they have already laid their loved ones to rest.
“Between 1992 and 2001, 8,000 cases were identified without the aid of DNA,” states Matthew Holliday, European Programme Director for the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
He further explains that while most identifications were accurate, “there is a risk when relying solely on methods such as visual identification. Misidentifications could occur in 15% to 20% of cases, marking a significant issue.”
The ICMP has been at the forefront of finding and identifying victims since its inception in 1996. The organization established its pioneering DNA laboratory in Sarajevo in 2001.
Currently, the ICMP is spearheading a new initiative in Bosnia to obtain blood samples from family members of the missing, including some previously considered resolved cases.
“We guide them through the process. The key question is, if you provide blood, could there be a chance that your relative is among the unidentified remains? Wouldn’t you want to know?”
Among the unresolved cases remains around 800 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre, during which Bosnian-Serb forces systematically executed over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys.
Each summer, more victims receive a proper burial, thanks to the efforts of the ICMP and its collaborators, including Bosnia’s Missing Persons Institute. This year, 14 individuals were honored in a burial ceremony at Potocari Cemetery, close to Srebrenica.
This process profoundly impacts the families of the deceased.
“It’s challenging to not have a designated place to honor your loved ones,” remarks Mirela Osmanovic, who is part of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.
Her two teenage brothers, Velid and Ahmedin, were killed in the massacre two years before her birth.
“We were fortunate to find their remains,” she recalls, “and they were laid to rest at the Memorial Centre in Srebrenica. However, the journey to acceptance was long and arduous.”
Though Mirela never met her brothers, she is acutely aware of the pain and uncertainty her parents endured during the ten years prior to their discovery.
She describes the moment their bodies were found as a turning point in her family’s healing journey, allowing them to finally confront the reality of their loss.
“They were buried in 2006 and 2008. That was relatively early. Even decades after the genocide, many families still await the return of their loved ones,” she reflects.
Zekija Avdibegovic finds herself in this painful limbo. As the chairwoman of the missing persons association in Ilijas, near Sarajevo, she has been longing for news about her husband, son, and seven other family members for more than 30 years.
“Honestly, it’s an incredibly difficult journey,” she expresses. “We were young, planning our future and building a family. Now, our sole purpose is to uncover the fates of our loved ones and give them a proper burial.”
Zekija is hopeful that the recent blood sample initiative may provide some answers or, as she describes it, relief.
“I understand that they were killed,” she acknowledges about her family members. “But the thought that someone may know where their remains are weighs heavily on me. Without a grave to visit, it intensifies my grief.”
Time is another crucial factor, as she notes that in many cases, suitable living relatives to provide blood samples may no longer exist.
ICMP’s Matthew Holliday affirms that there is no deadline for the operations of his organization or the Missing Persons Institute. He acknowledges the harsh reality that “some individuals may never be recovered; however, with sustained efforts, many more can still be located.”
Should the blood testing initiative yield results, bereaved families might finally be able to lay to rest the misidentified remains of their relatives, bringing closure to the lingering mysteries in the mortuaries.
