Croatia marks 30th anniversary of fall of Vukovar during war

VUKOVAR, Croatia — Tens of thousands of radical connected Thursday marked the 30th day of the autumn of the eastbound Croatian municipality of Vukovar that was demolished by the Serb-led Yugoslav service during the 1991-95 war, becoming a awesome of absorption and nationalist unity successful the conflict.

Top officials headed a immense file of radical during a accepted march done the municipality connected the Danube, adjacent the borderline with Serbia. The participants carried Croatian flags oregon were wrapped successful them arsenic they walked successful silence.

Many radical aboriginal besides laid flowers and lit candles astatine a cemetery wherever the victims of the 87-day siege of Vukovar had been buried.

More than 10,000 radical died successful the Croatian warfare that erupted aft the state declared independency from Serb-led Yugoslav federation, triggering a rebellion by the number Serbs who took power of swaths of Croatian territory.

The Yugoslav service troops relentlessly shelled Vukovar, reducing it practically to rubble. Croatia views the municipality arsenic a martyr of its absorption to what the Croats picture arsenic “Serb aggression” against the nation.

Hundreds of radical were besides killed aft the town’s autumn successful November 1991 and their bodies were dumped successful a wide sedate astatine a adjacent pig farm. The U.N. warfare crimes tribunal for the erstwhile Yugoslavia has sentenced to situation presumption 2 erstwhile Yugoslav service officers and a erstwhile Croatian Serb authoritative successful transportation with the killings.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Thursday that Croatia is inactive looking for much than 1,800 radical missing from the struggle and is seeking accusation from Serbia. Relations betwixt the Balkan rivals stay tense, decades aft the war.

The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, besides said galore of the victims of the Vukovar siege are inactive awaiting information and justice.

“I reiterate my telephone connected governmental leaders successful the portion to unfastened constabulary and subject archives which whitethorn clasp accusation connected missing persons and for improved practice successful this field,” said Mijatovic.

The warfare ended successful 1995 aft Croatia retook astir of the territories that had been held by the Serb rebels. Tens of thousands of Serbs past fled the offensive.

Croatia organized Thursday’s march contempt soaring microorganism infections successful the country. Plenkovic urged radical to amusement work and debar putting each different astatine risk.