Hundreds of students protested in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, accusing authorities of inaction and lack of responsibility for the deaths of 27 people during devastating floods in early October, "Reuters" reports, quoted by News.bg.
Heavy rains triggered landslides that hit central and southern Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 4, causing serious damage to infrastructure and the homes of thousands of people. In the southern village of Donja Jablanica, an illegal quarry collapsed, burying 19 people under tons of rock. Authorities have announced an investigation.
The protesters are demanding clear answers about the distribution of aid provided by the European Union and other international donors, which has not yet reached the affected areas. “Where are the donations? Where is the rehabilitation? Where is the transparency? Where is the responsibility?” read a banner carried by students in front of parliament.
Imran Pasalic, president of the Sarajevo University Student Parliament, stressed that the demonstration aims to hold accountable all those who directly or indirectly contributed to the Donja Jablanica tragedy.
The protests in Sarajevo come against the backdrop of ongoing political instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which remains divided along ethnic lines after the war in the 1990s. Some students said the demonstration was also an act of solidarity with students in neighboring Serbia, where anti-government demonstrations erupted after a tragic train station accident that killed 15 people.