Serb and Muslim fought in opposite sides in war: Now they are war invalids and they live like brothers (VIDEO)
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina did not cut the relations between the locals of this Gracanica villages, but it seems it left more consequences to the younger generations that are maturing
In small village near Gracanica, war invalid of the first category, is helping war invalid of the second category. During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), they were on opposite sides. First one in the Army of BiH, the other in the Army of Republic of Serbia.
Half of Risto Stankovic's house collapsed, former soldier of Serbian army from the village Gornja Lohinja near Gracanica. He got a temporary accommodation in the collective center offered by the government, but he accepted the offer the temporarily stay in the weekend house of Hasib Salkanovic, former soldier of BiH army, which is around 1km away form his collapsed house.
They are both war invalids of first and second category, and during the way they fought on opposite sides, reports slobodnaevroma.org.
Hasib said that he wanted to help Rista and to provide roof over his head until the things are settled and he can live normally.
Mostly people of Serbian nationality lived in Gornja Lohinja before the war. There are little people who returned, because most of the people sold their properties. Not Bosniaks from Srebrenica, Bratunac and Doboj live her.
- No Bosniak or Muslim or what ever you call it, has problems from my side, nor i have problems with them. Those are all my neighbors. The day my house collapsed there was a drainage here. People left drainage system and came to see what is going on with me and if i am alive - said Risto.
Risto Stankovic is not the first who returned using temporarily the weekend house of Hasib Salkanovic, reports slobodnaevropa.org.
- When i first came here, i had nothing. Hasib Salkanovic, since my brother knew him, gave us his weekend house. That is where i spent the winter, and i got the materials to make a cottage. People made that to me. I didn't give a dime. And then donations started coming, so i managed to make a house - said the other neighbor Milan Djuric.
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina did not cut the relations between the locals of this Gracanica villages, but it seems it left more consequences to the younger generations that are maturing.
- We being on different sides in war doesn't mean that we have to hate each other. Media are to blame for this poisoning of youth, education system and politics. I think there is more hate and intolerance in those kids today than in us that were in the war. Those kids will realize some day that they have to live together, because we can't stay without each other here in BiH - said Hasib.