From Mostar to Banja Luka

Home (map)	Sarajevo	Sarajevo (cont'd)	Mostar	Jajce
Banja Luka	Republika Srpska	Jasenovac	Srebrenica	The Women of Divic
Tuzla	Back in Sarajevo	PTSD	Psychology of Genocide	Timeline of the conflict
	Timeline of the Srebrenica Massacre	Organizations	Resources


	Photos: Left: Jajce's spectacular waterfall on the River Pliva. Right: Abandoned statue of Tito in the ANVOJ headquarters.

One of the most pleasant surprises of our trip was the drive from Mostar to Banja Luka - capital of the Republika Srpska, which was created as a result of the Dayton Accords. I am not sure what we expect when we travel to a country that has been through genocide. Maybe because we acknowledge the evil that is inherent in such acts, we assume that a black cloud must hang over the country in perpetuity.

Half-way on our travels north, we stopped in the town of Jajce. Jajce boasts a spectacular waterfall, and in the hot sun of June, we were happy to stand close enough to feel the cool, moist air.

Jajce is a historical town; it was the last fortress in Bosnia to fall to the Ottoman invaders in 1528. In the last war, Jajce was captured by the Bosnian Croat Army (HVO), and was awarded the Republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Dayton. Today it is still predominantly Catholic.

In one of the most important historical buildings in Jajce, the Anti-Fascist Council of the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (ANVOJ) met in 1943 and signed a document which would essentially make Bosnia-Herzegovina a part of the future Yugoslavia. Today the building is a metaphor for the former Yugoslavia. I hesitate to call it a museum. It is a bullet-ridden building with very little clear indication of its historical importance save for a very well-worn sign along the path to the entrance. Inside, the main hall is the "exhibition," which contains photos from the famous ANVOJ meeting. The walls are pockmarked and the exhibit is made up of weathered photographs which are jaundiced and dog-eared. Tito has been pushed to the front of the room, along with all the disused furniture which crowds the space. The room tells of the dream of a united Yugoslavia, which Tito was able to fulfill for many years. But now, the room is disorganized and lacks purpose. Tito appears to look down in disappointment at what has become of his country.