The Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska and the Association of Fighters and Descendants of the 43rd Motorized Prijedor Brigade have signed a memorandum of cooperation.

The Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska and the Association of Fighters and Descendants of the 43rd Motorized Prijedor Brigade signed a Memorandum of Cooperation today with the aim of systematically recording testimonies about the suffering of the Serbian people.

The President of the Association, Branko Vasilić, stated that the mission of the organization is to preserve and archive the memory of the brigade’s entire path, but with a special emphasis on documenting and safeguarding testimonies about the fallen fighters. “Cooperation with the Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska is an honor and an opportunity to jointly achieve a national goal: to leave behind to future generations both the emotions and the facts about Serbian suffering,” Vasilić said.

The Director of the Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska, Denis Bojić, announced that the first recordings in Prijedor will begin in October. “Once again, I invite all family members of the killed and missing to leave their invaluable testimony about the honorable and bloody history of the Serbian people,” Bojić said.

The 43rd Prijedor Motorized Brigade was one of the strongest units of the 1st Krajina Corps of the Army of the Republic of Srpska and the successor to the 343rd Motorized Brigade of the JNA. It embarked on its wartime path in 1991, and more than 10,000 fighters passed through its ranks. The brigade participated in the most significant battles: from the Western Slavonia theater and the defense of Prijedor in 1992, through the breakthrough of the Corridor in Posavina, all the way to the final battles in Operation “Vaganj 95.”

Its composition included elite battalions—armored, “Gvozdeni,” tank, and assault—as well as artillery, military police, and the reconnaissance-sabotage detachment “Brzi.” For its bravery and merits, the brigade was awarded the highest decorations, including the Order of Nemanjić.

During the war, it suffered enormous losses but remained a symbol of resistance and strength in the Podkozara region.

The Memorial Center of Republika Srpska invites all family members of fallen and missing civilians and soldiers from the Defense-Patriotic War to share their testimony, and in that way permanently preserve the memory of their loved ones. Everyone who wishes to leave a testimony can contact us via email address: komunikacije@mcrs.vladars.rs or via telephone number: 051/222-999.

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