After the Flood: Mines and Mass Graves in Bosnia

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In May, massive floods in Bosnia unearthed previously undiscovered mass graves from the 1992-95 Balkan conflict. The waters also moved potentially thousands of landmines from known locations to... well, nobody knows for sure.
VICE News traveled to northern Bosnia to tag along with the team in charge of de-mining the countryside, and met residents still reeling from the horrors of war.
Check out "The VICE Guide to the Balkans" - bit.ly/1AXFO4i
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[@Russellsagecline]

The man describing how he felt when he handled the bones of the dead was very poetic and kind. He says he "thought of how much he enjoyed being alive........and they (the bones) were denied that." There was such a harmony in his statement as if to say, "we must have evil and death to appreciate kindness and life." How inspirational.

[@danpattern252]

brave men doing the clean up job...luckily we have people in this world who actually care...may these men return home safely to their home and families every day..respect

[@MrMoss786]

@Trippy _ he clearly said he had planted the mines. I'm disgusted by the serbs actions, but there are some good in them.

[@MrMoss786]

@Trippy _ I'm confused then. Are you saying the translation is inaccurate?

[@artemis6624]

@EmpressKajal we need to pray for them.

[@borisav2000]

I bett they were the ones that planted them.

[@Rndzrndz]

Fact is that mean people after war ended, tried to hide mass graves with digging known graves and relocating them on other places. And because of that after 22 years we still cannot find our families, or we find bones from same person in different graves. I just remember that my father was good and brave man. After escaping from Serbian army, we crossed one old bridge with railroad and he couldn't leave people. He went back to help other people to save their families. When he tried to cross that bridge again few days later, Serbs were faster and killed him with 24 more people (youngest were twelve years old). 9 of them survived by running and hiding. We still can't find body of my father, his body is thrown from bridge to river. And today i love to go in nature and to fish, last train that went trhrough that palce is before war. Nature did the things, now bridge is falling apart, but when i stand on it it makes me real sadness and i feel cold. Like my bones are cracking and i m 50 kilo's heavier. After surviving the war, you don't look on people like MUSLIMS, KOREANS, AMERICANS, FRENCH, CHATOLICS etc., you just see GOOD PEOPLE and BAD PEOPLE. But where were GOOD people 1992'-1995'? Shame on the world and humanity. Look the Syria today, it continues year after year, and none stops it.

[@ArjunSingh-wl9dc]

You must be a muslim.. I guess

[@Ali-sh6kh]

@@ArjunSingh-wl9dc ,What is your point?

[@rocks0133]

@@ArjunSingh-wl9dc you dont have to judge without knowledge!

[@ArjunSingh-wl9dc]

@@rocks0133 n only u have all the knowledge. Lol

[@rocks0133]

@@ArjunSingh-wl9dc What im saying is a fact, what you re saying is bullshit

[@Exposetheworld]

I'm Serbian and the only thing I saw in this video was just how trivial all of these killings were. Everyone here in the Balkan peninsula are brothers, that's what I love about living in London, my close friends are Kosovan, Albanian and Bosnian. We all stand united together when ironically our parents fled the fighting. I even have a Bosnian flag in my room as tribute to the resilience of Bosnians. Perhaps the next generation will not be so ignorant. We can only hope.

[@zenithnix3109]

Kosovan? You mean Albanians from Kosova?

[@Exposetheworld]

Zenith Nix Well yes and no. My friends identify themselves as Kosovan so I just call them that.

[@Exposetheworld]

***** No you woudin't you're just an internet loser. Grow up kid.

[@gustavodemira7416]

Chinko Jenic And those are the "victims of a crime" Chinko, those types of people I am talking about. "They are not real albanians.. I would fucking smash your face at first sight."

[@rustynailsmakerainbows4697]

Yeah don't listen to these fucking comments m8. Im bosnian and I agree with your statement.

[@dzenan9331]

We don't want this war again. I have lost grandpa and uncle. WAR GIVES NOTHING GREAT, TO ANYBODY!!!

[@Bluehawk2008]

The internet warriors are still reenacting the war, I see.

[@bakerhalt]

@Why? Tell me your Branch, Regiment and City you were stationed in. Also tell me the reason because i don't believe you as you sound very young.

[@bolleb.i.g.7841]

@Why? you are lier..

[@warvideos2108]

@@bakerhalt You can find everything they did on the internet evhen videos of raping and slaughtering

[@ShredwardWizardhands]

@@zulf54321 if you can't see this fish at the fish dinner, you're the fish!

[@nerdybeercastle]

This comment section is a good proof on how wars start, and why they even exist!

[@Bosnian519]

they are fought by these internet heroes but the peace loving civilians get all the death

[@allanmeierjensen4925]

Politik...

[@allanmeierjensen4925]

Or as I say all problems on earth... Only allways same 2 things shod be ban both... Politik and religion.... (and now politik brainwash people mind sulconsius again with Corona)... Don't want to kill grandma do you.... And the hate to unvax... Group me tal problems... I shod say from a hupno trapist... Noting but repeticon werry powerful and brainwash... And no it don't work... Can make a vax to a Corona there work... Stop spred or you from get it or infektions.... So yes.... All about digital mo ey to the system crash and digital helth Ala kredit system in China.... Simple power and Controol noting else)... Have a good day all best regards from Europe

[@spiralrose]

This interviewer needs to learn how do interview. She asks stupid questions. " Why is it important for relatives to have the bones back?" " Do you get used to the smell?"

[@MM-qz9bl]

hajvanu, your mother is there!

[@ericballi4701]

I see your point, but I disagree. The average person, especially someone younger and less experienced in life, are probably thinking these same questions.

[@Oscar-fi1ev]

"What did the bodies look like..." IDK wtf do you think they look like after 25 years of being in the ground....

[@monikazokaite6590]

My thoughts exactly!!!

[@ConstantThrowing]

The guy who tried to identify the bones was an amazing character. What tragedy and he will beat himself up, going through the reminders for as long as he can only to help other people find peace. That is a true example of selflessness.

[@MrCantstandliberals]

Omg I hope they get them all safely. God bless Bosnia

[@koevirel8350]

Thank u brother. God bless u too.

[@ll-uq3mt]

omg omg omg just shut up...there is no god...there are only mines and dumb luck

[@artemis6624]

@@ll-uq3mt and you just call upon him a couple times...there is still hope for you.🙏

[@peterfredrikson8100]

USA is a disgrace who supports genocide on Serbs.

[@soada159]

@@peterfredrikson8100 don't be pissed that the big d*** USA sent in troops to capture your limp d*** war criminal leaders and gave them a good taste of USA justice get rekt fucko. So cry more that your s****hole piss stain of a country will never be equal to the US of mother f****** A

[@domenicgalata1470]

It’s heartbreaking to see how emotionally destroyed and wrecked the surviving citizens are. Tragic.

[@xfgher]

sad to see the keyboard warriors keep the conflict alive from behind their screens, and don't respect the pain displayed in these short 15 minutes

[@STORMTROOPER218]

But on a serious note, mines should be outlawed from being used in war.

[@juliusraben3526]

They are under the Geneva convention. There are countries who didnt sign it though

[@espressodepresso8294]

The USA, Russia and China most notably didn't sign the resolution...

[@xBB4L_Airsoft]

Love you Bosnian ppl, Morocco loves you, Keep ur head up.

[@jeffreymoran6234]

Are u a rapper ?

[@jcbuso]

Wanna work in Bosnia for a while. I love Balkan cultures

[@ShredwardWizardhands]

You should check out my Balkan cultures

[@ovencore2549]

i suggest romania since there aren't any landmines here

[@ilmah3479]

Hoce da se svadjamo i poslije 20 godina. Mir i ljubav ljudi

[@Luka-zf2ye]

Samo da se RS mirno odcepi pa posle siri ljubav do besvesti necu da ti smetam.

[@carlosdeangelo4342]

My family came from Doboj, from a village. The translation was OK; however, not actually accurate.

[@MLSGaming001]

Duuuuddde. My grandmother lives in that building at 1:01

[@cannibalwindigo1506]

1:13 is that your mother ?

[@arminramic1610]

You guys should visit Bosnia it may look bad on the outside but it's like a big family in the inside. People have always said don't judge a book by it's cover and people still are it's just sad

[@adrianalisitza5543]

I recently visited Bosnia. It was a beautiful place full of history and great people. I made some good friends, and Sarajevo is my favourite city. I will be back.

[@Samer-lx5sz]

@@adrianalisitza5543❤❤❤

[@zainizainab2347]

Love Bosnia from Pakistan 💚🇵🇰

[@polivoon4751]

Pakistan remembers!

[@Mostarac199]

Volim te Bosno.

[@triobroscore4391]

I love it too.majstore

[@ForortsUngar1]

8:20 „Ma jebem ti mamu“

[@jankukura6744]

5:25 for anyone wondering, that small car is a Škoda Felicia,you can get that car for 500€(even less)(working, used before of course),a pretty common car especially in Slovakia, greetings from Slovakia

[@chrismckinstry1183]

I was posted here twice in the 90s the second time as security for the war crimes commission,I’ve never gotten over it and what a human is actually capable of doing to another,I still pray for these people to this day and will always god bless all those innocent people that had to endure this

[@elijahgavin6706]

Can you share a story from that time

[@seki8063]

Unfortunately, lot of people who committed crimes walks free, people still looking for dead ones and justice is not even close. There is no justice.

[@sonikue23]

*Translation correction* = @ 8:00 - He said that there was no further sight of the three brothers after they went on the bridge, not that they were killed off on the bridge. Just sayin'....

[@andydzehverovic]

Both my parents are from Bosnia. Beautiful country. We are now in America!

[@kosh2001]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Bosnian519]

damn man , real salt in a never healing wound. RIP and never again.

[@MelYouTube]

my parents are bosnian and they were teens during this time. crazy to think about it as ive grown up in america since they flew over here in 2001.

[@urbexyounggun2214]

One of my pals got sent off to Bosnia as part of a mass grave clean up. He was only 18 years old and spent over a year removing bodies from mass graves, he estimated there was around 3,000 people per grave site

[@dannybatterbee2444]

The worse thing about all of this is, there was no real justice. Convictions etc never brings them back. Nato who sat back for too long... Horrible times

[@CaptainMystiv]

War, War never changes

[@thomasmiltenburg1996]

***** 1984 a great book

[@anonym1250]

Quality reporting, thanks for that vice!

[@Rainmaker2212]

Thank you VICE.

[@billiam911]

That "throwbackthursday" billboard is sick!

[@nguyenbaokhiem6728]

One of Vice’s best pieces…

[@baybornbalkanbaby7277]

Sad...Brother Killing Brother. God give them peace and rest.

[@EdgarChicas]

Wow! very heavy emotional feeling on all. I will pray for inner peace for Bosnia. Because God gave Inner peace to my Family and I.

[@artemis6624]

Amen

[@mecafik2833]

Thank you for this Vice.

[@franklinschad9362]

Brings back memories of my deployment in 2016 as Combat Engineer walking in single file to/through minefields.

[@jgray9978]

You’d have loved 1996 🇺🇸

[@scrooglemcdoogle]

I always found this conflict funny, because Serbians are more closely related genetically to Turks than any other ethnic group in the area besides Turks themselves.

[@igorj2255]

I dont think you are very well informed about this topic if you find something funny here.

[@atreyurafa]

Turkmenistan is where the original turks are from, when the ottoman empire extended to europe, everyone but the kids and therefore lot of the people living in turkey are europeans brainwashed into believing they are real Turks. And the only thing making them different than the rest of Europe is religion. Nevermind all the other west Asian peoples living there.

[@DamirDiz]

thx vice. nice work

[@Kynos1]

It all went south when Tito died. He kept everything together.

[@senadibrahim]

Everything went U Pichku Maternu

[@7071t6]

My DAD was born in doboj, in may 20th 1928. :) Passed away in april 20th 2007. :(

[@FullTimePRO]

Watching this brings back a lot of memories, I was actually part of the UN peacekeeping force over there in the late 90s. The more things change, the more they stay the same it appears. I remember after the winter snow first melted, all the kids would come out and show us and even BRING us mines they would find during the spring melt!

[@Wingnut40]

Plenty of mines and mass graves strewn all over the balkans region sad time from history

[@ikbuhguhphonk]

"Do you love your job?" This is so typical. As if the situation is not clear enough. C'mon.

[@ohsweatbret]

IK IK she asks kinda dumb questions. Her gitmo tour was a lot worse

[@Dermisc]

lol... if you've already found the mine, why not just set up a suspended shaped charge above the mine using a metal frame and detonate it? You could also just drive a de-mining tractor through it.

[@nicenice8732]

Question is, why are there still bombs after almost 20 years since war ? If you knew exact locations of bombs, why didnt you removed it before floods ?

[@bosnahYUG]

I'm born in Doboj in 1990. In my village Svjetlica there are enough wodos with mines full. probably 4 square km not fully checked out with mines. There are many pathways wich you dont want to go and believe me even after 29 years you would find everything there, Because never went in those places after the war. We as kids always threw big rocks from the road in the mountain to play and we always thought we gonna hit a mine. Never did we hit but it was not far enough. What more scarier is that many people tear down the red signs with the skelet on it wich says ''Pazi mine'' (watch out mines). People blow up once in a while because they think its a shortcut to another village.

[@City8Killer]

11:45 wtf over her shoulder hahahaha i was like "watttafak?"

[@SabbaticusRex]

1,300 unidentified remains of loved ones, civilians, etc.. So sad.. Vice's demeanor in that place - in that moment? 'Eww-wuh, so STINKY. Why would you work here, like OMG, PSHhh.. looooser.' Yep. This is what we have come to expect from them. What a disgrace.

[@mihajlodenic9480]

i'm a Serb and i fell sorry for Bosnians

[@zizimugen4470]

JigArkan Try sending that idea to vice on their website, or to their New York HQ. If any journalism company is going to do both sides of an issue, vice surely will be the one.

[@zambezi-sv1ed]

So unbelievably sad.

[@semir2607]

BOSNA MOJA DUŠA!

[@Wingnut40]

If you have never been in a mine field you could never acknowledge or understand what is around you and the amount of destruction what is caused by these deadly things good job trying to find these hidden things tough job ❤️

[@haristhebosniaklion8584]

Hey buddy, It really is not my fault that i am ugly to most;) ;) and that many girls,mostly Bosniak girls hurt my feelings by telling me how ugly i am,you know very well what was done to them in the Aggression on Bosnia.......btw(Kosovo Is Not Serbia ) .....✌️ My life is not fair,so,i will not be fair....I wish my Muslim brothers would chase Serbian And American girls and date them.😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@adishasic1952]

What's the name of the first soundtrack? Only the band is present in the credits.

[@OblivionZealot]

This just makes me sad, humans can be so cruel at times.

[@fasiistyrer]

Does anybody know what the music is at 14:36 ?

[@Lillymill]

How convenient that mines and mass graves were kept so tidily separated. Some amazingly meticulous and tidy floods.

[@maniak493]

as a combat engineer, i wished we stayed more to clear out more mines.

[@DIgitusSmartas]

Correction regarding translation. At 8:00 min mark Bosnian guy says " took 3 of his brothers and took them to the bridge and no traces of them from that point on " but you guys simply said they were killed? Maybe they were but don't state something hasn't been said. You know others know english as well as Bosnian.

[@CedroneTravels]

So is Mostar. Was there and saw bullet holes in buildings.

[@MajoIngram]

2:02 it will, but until you step on one

[@ederm971]

The music wonderfully fits the vice short.

[@yuriydee]

Is Bosnian language the same as Serbian? I speak Ukrainian and Russian and I understand about half the things they said, maybe even more I just have to take a few seconds to think about each word.

[@Unbrutal_Rawr]

yuriydee The language spoken in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro is the same, it has 3 main dialects that don't correspond with the borders.

[@therollingbros9121]

It's sort of the same yeah

[@TeacherFlash]

TheRollingBros Privet yuriydee I am from Srebrenica and yes yurydee our language is similar to Russian. I don't hate you because you are Russian or Ukrainian I really don't care what other people believe in I just respect their beliefs weather you're an atheist, orthodox, islamic, jewish, catholic. I couldn't care less about the world politics Russia vs USa blah blah blabh.. It's all bullcrap and regular people end up dying. American veneterans come back home in the damn wheelchairs, my family is in the massgrave, Ukrainians and Russians now die and you can ask what for or better who for? Just so that someone can sit in the Kremlin or NYC and live off our suffering. If humans were able to see that in Yugoslavia, the Slavs of Yuoslavia would still be able to live good lives, but humans are not that intelligent. They actually believe the bullcrap their leaders and TVs tell them.

[@b.i.gtupac9119]

everything is the same, but some words are can be said in different ways,...

[@issabeganovic8822]

yuriydee It's called mutual intelligibility. Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Montenegro (Црна Гора) are all the same language, but considered different for political reasons. Along with significant similarities with Slovenian, Macedonian and Bulgarian.

[@SenukeMa]

where are the NUKE them comments or are those exclusive to Africa and the Middle East.

[@_Patronus_]

Don't think it'd be the right thing to nuke these mourning Bosnians...

[@SenukeMa]

I don´t want to Nuke them, its just that if you read the comments on vice videos from the middle east and Africa you would understand my Satire

[@_Patronus_]

Little Breez-E The Middle East and Africa are two completely different situations from Europe. The majority of organizations causing war/fighting are usually terrorist organizations, unrecognized states, or protest groups; not entire countries... Also, the aforementioned areas are usually a bit less densely populated. It's still not right to nuke anyone. The example groups I gave are usually within the borders of a recognized state so nuking them would most likely cause some relations to sour with that country/countries and it's population.

[@s0nnyburnett]

Nuking them might throw some more mines into neighboring countries.

[@SenukeMa]

***** Yeah I've heard it before. Those are ignorant people that don't even consider the repercussion of such actions.

[@E100Omega123]

"Throwback Thursday" *Picture of billowing smoke* Kek

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

That throwback billboard.

[@louvartanian5840]

what is the music at 0:37 ?

[@metalElvalover]

This may be callous and in poor taste, but that song at the end...anyone know it?

[@ewdennis]

Would the flood not detonate some of these mines, especially the anti-personnel kind?

[@scottyweimuller6152]

Thats what I was curious about. Floods are powerful and I'm surprised mines weren't just going off left right and center when they were being washed away.

[@zekromepic678]

What's the reporters name?

[@grahamcox8385]

What happened to these people is inhumane and the people who committed these mass killings have no soul and don't deserve to be on the earth, when I see videos from the surviving people of these atrocities it makes me feel sad that it ever occurred, much honour and respect to you brave people and peace and happiness for you always 😊✌️🌹🙏

[@haristhebosniaklion8584]

Hey buddy, It really is not my fault that i am ugly to most;) ;) and that many girls,mostly Bosniak girls hurt my feelings by telling me how ugly i am,you know very well what was done to them in the Aggression on Bosnia.......btw(Kosovo Is Not Serbia ) .....✌️ My life is not fair,so,i will not be fair....I wish my Muslim brothers would chase Serbian And American girls and date them.😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@Dutchhero2]

courageous men in front of the camera

[@Staljin95]

That is a nice video.

[@nemanjadragic392]

You need to find new translator Vice, a lot in this translation is wrong. For example at 4:58 he says "Since the war is over 108 deminers have died in the line of duty. Kinda makes this video disinformative.

[@Highdreams_CJ]

Why are all the Vice reporters so hip

[@Gyva02]

Why don't they hang a large rock on a rope above it get a distance back behind a barricade and drop the rock on it to blow it up? Rocks and rope are cheap...

[@ZackJ721]

First, you send your reporters to meet up with ISIS. Now, you're sending them literally walking blind through a minefield. Vice must have one hell of an insurance policy. In all seriousness, I really respect the work these people do in going to these most dangerous areas and bringing us the stories that more mainstream media outlets are either unwilling or afraid to cover. Keep up the good work and please stay safe out there! Respect +1

[@scottb4104]

Turns out most of the mines ended up in Ferguson, Missouri

[@AbsurdJosh]

Since when is Ellen a reporter for Vice?

[@brockhoffer7712]

How many times we say this ain't going to happen again.. I tell you.. it will happen, again, and again.. and..

[@raymendoza9189]

Question, Why wouldn't the mines set themselves off after being moved by the floods?

[@ciceroalexandar6184]

Smart mines?

[@gookelli]

Seeing what all that fighting did to those people 20 years ago when Yugoslavia broke up doesn't stop people from blaming people today and wanted them dead. It never ends

[@tyskbulle]

This is what happens when 10 empires chop up and misplace the native populations over and over. Balkan powder-keg.

[@matthewculkin6883]

This reminds me of The Bone Woman by Clea Koff. I just had to read that for school, very interesting.

[@saleone011]

nice translation 8)

[@worldeater1498]

There is peace now, although the scars are there for all countries, not just Bosnia. Why cant we just live like the brothers we once were? This hate is getting old

[@MegaBoyz98]

+Srpski Sin Becasue yo fucks decided to start killing everybody.

[@worldeater1498]

MegaBoyz98 And you let us do it to you

[@worldeater1498]

***** yeah every country has patriots and nationalistic fucks so you dont have to act butthurt because im sure the war didnt affect your ass in any way

[@worldeater1498]

***** same with my moved to America after the war too, things were so bad back there, i wish it could be like the good old Yugo days

[@Svevid]

+Srpski Student lol, why the fuck are you talking to these idiots.. any1 taking vice's words as true is a stupid fucktard!

[@seadsalcin5011]

As a bosnian i live in mostar and i go hunting with mine father we go next to a little neighborhood and that neighborhood maybe one kilometer away is a mine field and we are scared to step on some places cause there are a lot of floods i fields and we dont know where the mines are

[@stephenfaulkner1448]

When they initially found the mines. Why the hell did they not take them out instead of Documenting them

[@plartoo]

The reporter looks somewhat like Kirsten Stewart.

[@anescatovic6128]

Nobody helped Bosnia in the war,nobody,everyone wanted to take something from bosnia

[@domingoiocco8183]

So many graves, what country has lost more?

[@j0ndav1s]

Yeah, that vest isn't gonna keep you safe from a mine.

[@ColaJames]

Those vests look like they wouldn't work if they stepped on a mine

[@ColaJames]

But there legs are exposed it looks like it might go up the opening and be contained on the wrong side lol I would hate to have their job lol

[@TheScootyMan]

All I see in the comments is hate, either from Turks or from Serbs. People, war just sucks, stop blaming each other for it. It happened, and there is nothing you can do about it.

[@DreamChaser1366]

Tell that camerawoman, just stick to her job! Her job isnt to ask questions

[@seanstrickland4970]

This is clear evidence that a ceramic mine is the most effective mine.

[@EasyFunAITraining]

For any one interested in this topic I highly recommend a very long documentary titled "The Death of Yugoslavia".

[@AkakaDomenjer]

Serbian propaganda you mean?