On July 25th, 1992, 150 civilians were killed in the Bosniak village of Zecovi, a few kilometres from Prijedor. Among them 29 relatives of Fikret Bačić, who returned to Bosnia at the end of the war to search for their bodies and bring those responsible to trial. On the day of the commemoration of the massacre, we collected his testimony
Following the Russian occupation of Crimea, the Tatar community is under great pressure. An analysis of the situation through historical digressions and a meeting with the Tatar representatives recently elected in the Ukrainian parliament
Srebrenica genocide did not happen by accident and began well before its full horror became visible. It took shape with public discourse that dehumanised the Other
In several cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from May 28th to June 2nd, an important history festival was held which brought together about 100 historians from the region. This year, however, the History Fest has become a case of ethno-political tension
Opposition protests against Vučić's government continue in Serbia. But the manipulations, mainstream media's propaganda, and the government's hate speech are likely to lead to violence
By providing weapons to parties in conflict in Yemen, Europeans have a responsibility in the war that has claimed more than 10,000 lives in four years. Being one of the main European exporters of arms, Croatia shares this reponsibility
Before leaving the presidential chair to the newly elected Volodymyr Zelensky, Petro Porošenko signed a new language law – one that puts minority rights under strong pressure
After starting with great expectations, the EU-mediated dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia is now stalled after the introduction by Prishtina of custom tariffs on Serbian products and sterile proposals to exchange territories
Between historical revisionism and divided memories, the Jasenovac concentration camp (Croatia) keeps fostering division and debate in the communities of the region. Ivo Goldstein, a well-known Croatian historian, explains the reason for a long-standing dispute
Hundreds of Kurdish detainees in Turkish prisons are carrying out a hunger strike to demand an end to the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Despite the serious conditions of many detainees, and as many as seven suicides, their protest today seems to be at a dead end
The small republic of Ingushetia lives in a tinderbox. There are serious concerns in the region that tensions related to contested border issues and potential unification with neighbouring Chechnya may escalate and lead to violence
After a long electoral campaign, the first round of presidential elections in Ukraine took place on the 31st of March. None of the candidates managed to score more than 50% of the votes. Volodymyr Zelensky is in the lead. An analysis of the vote
Both presidential and political elections are scheduled to take place in Ukraine in 2019. Next March 31st it is time for the first round of presidential elections, in a climate that unfortunately seems to anchor the country to its turbulent past
On Wednesday, the MICT (Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals) condemned on appeal the former leader of Bosnian Serbs during the war of the 1990s to life imprisonment. While Karadžić will serve the sentence in a state for now unknown, his ideas unfortunately continue to circulate
In 2017 Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić launched the "Internal Dialogue on Kosovo". Purpose? In words, to consult in an inclusive way the Serbian society on potential solutions related to Kosovo. That didn't really happen
Soon the Chechen women will be able to take taxis driven by women and only for women. An initiative sponsored by an Arab investment fund that caused very different reactions
Republika Srpska has appointed two new international commissions tasked with establishing the crimes committed in Srebrenica and those committed against the Serbian population in Sarajevo. A group of academics and various analysts highlight its revisionist intentions
Disinformation campaigns, dubious practices on social media, murkey financing of political campaigns and lobby groups, timed hacked and leaks: new structural vulnerabilities to our democracies are there for anyone to exploit. It’s time to focus our public conversation on new policies and practices that can mitigate these risks
Meaningful engagement with de facto states and consistent, patient support for constructive approaches as they emerge from the region are the way to go for the EU and other international actors in the coming months
Contrasting reactions in (North) Macedonia to the ratification of the Prespa agreement by Greece. The government celebrates a unique opportunity and investment in the future, the opposition laments an unbalanced agreement and loss of identity
Last week, the Skopje parliament gave the green light to changing the country's constitutional name, to become North Macedonia after the expected ratification by Greece. An overview by our correspondent
Arzu Abdullayeva has faced threats, insults and even violent demonstrations because of his peace activism between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But she never gave up
The Kosovo government decided to impose 100% customs duties against Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina. A decision strongly criticized by Brussels, and which risks further damaging the fragile dialogue with Belgrade
An unusual wave of protest has rocked Ingushetia. Changes in the administrative borders between Chechnya and Ingushetia sparked the mobilisation. Lack of dialogue and Ingush fears of having their republic merged with Chechnya kept them going
With the support of some opposition MPs, the Skopje government has started the process of changing the country's constitution and name. The controversial process is unlikely to end before January 2019
In recent months there has been an increasing talk of a swap of territories between Serbia and Kosovo: a solution that raises concerns and question marks. The debate among the Kosovo Albanians
Parents, grandparents, children – hundreds of people have been guarding Banja Luka's main square for over six months, demanding justice for David. Regardless of who wins Sunday's elections, they are determined to go all the way
Kenan and Haris Hasanagić searched for years for traces of Amer and Alen Ljuša, their two cousins who left Sarajevo in 1992, together with other children from the Bjelave orphanage, to be sheltered in Italy. Instead of being returned to Bosnia at the end of the war, they were given up for adoption. They finally met last summer, with the help of OBCT. An interview with Kenan Hasanagić
