Konjic is a strategically very important place at the crossroads between Herzegovina and Bosnia, on the vital communication line between Sarajevo and Mostar. During the Second World War, in the period of the Genocide against Serbs in the NDH, the Serbian population of Konjic suffered significant losses.<\/p>\n
Konjic is a strategically very important place at the crossroads between Herzegovina and Bosnia, on the vital communication line between Sarajevo and Mostar. During the Second World War, in the period of the Genocide against Serbs in the NDH, the Serbian population of Konjic suffered significant losses.\nMuslims in this municipality, which according to the 1991 census had 43,878 inhabitants, were the majority with around 23,815 or slightly more than 54% of the population. There were 11,513 Croats (26.2%), while Serbs with around 6,620 listed made up 15.1% of the population. The rest, in small percentages, were Yugoslavs or those who declared themselves differently.\nWith the arrival of armed formations from Croatia in mid-April, the actions of Muslim paramilitary formations, and the escalation of internal antagonisms and incidents, Konjic became a very unsafe place for Serbs to live. In the second half of April, part of them tried to take shelter in their surrounding villages for protection. At the beginning of the war, those Serbian villages were attacked, burned and destroyed, property was looted, and houses, churches and cultural monuments were demolished.<\/p>\n
Attacks on Serbian settlements in Konjic municipality by Croat-Muslim formations began in mid-May 1992. The village of Blace was attacked on May 15, 1992. The assault was directed against the civilian Serbian population, involving killings, looting, burning of buildings and expulsion.\nAfter the attack, the population that was not killed fled, leaving only those who were helpless and unable to escape. The victims were mostly elderly, but children were also among them. In this attack and one subsequent attack, a total of sixteen persons of Serbian nationality were killed.<\/p>\n
After attacks on the Serbian villages of Bjelov\u010dina and Donje Selo on May 20 and 21, 1992, the Serbian settlements in the Bradina area were attacked on May 25, 1992. The attack was carried out by members of the Territorial Defence (TO) of the so-called Republic of BiH and the HVO with around 3,500 armed men.\nAfter 48 hours of fighting, and being heavily outnumbered, the Serbs surrendered their weapons. Some of the Serbs who had defended the village and civilian residents tried to escape, but were later captured between May 27 and 28.<\/p>\n
Nakon zauzimanja Bradine u logor \u010celebi\u0107i odvedeno je oko 280 odraslih mu\u0161karaca, dok je oko 500 \u017eena, djece i staraca odvedeno u \u201eSportsko-rekreacioni centar\u201c u Konjicu. Nakon dovo\u0111enja ovih srpskih civila u pomenute logore zapo\u010deo je dobro organizovan teror, bez razlike za pol i godine \u017eivota \u017ertava.<\/p>\n
The Serbian population of Konjic suffered one of the most brutal fates during the Defence-Patriotic War. They were massacred, displaced and imprisoned in camps on a massive scale.\nMen, women and children were detained in Serb camps located in:\n\n\u010celebi\u0107i,\nthe \u201cIgman\u201d factory,\nthe \u201cMusala\u201d sports hall,\nthe Konjic Public Security Station (SJB),\nand the primary school in Bradina.\n\nIn these camps, murders were committed, along with brutal physical and psychological abuse, forced labour and rapes.\nDuring the war, the Serbian population of Konjic municipality was almost completely displaced.<\/p>\n