The Childhood Terror of Sarajevo's Siege
Smajo Bešo was just seven years old when the siege of Sarajevo began, forcing his family to endure nearly four years of terror in their hometown village of Barane in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The brutal conflict claimed 11,541 civilian lives, including 1,601 children, making it the longest siege in modern European history.
Now, decades later, Italian prosecutors are investigating disturbing claims that wealthy tourists from Western nations paid for the opportunity to act as 'weekend snipers', shooting at besieged civilians from Bosnian-Serb positions. This investigation follows a 2022 documentary titled 'Sarajevo Safari' and a new legal case brought by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni.
The 'Human Safari' Allegations
According to emerging reports, individuals from Italy, Germany, France, England and other Western countries allegedly paid substantial sums for the chance to fire upon civilians trapped in Sarajevo. Some reportedly paid extra to specifically target children, turning human suffering into a perverse form of entertainment.
Bešo expresses mixed emotions about these revelations finally coming to light. "I'm pleased it is being investigated now, but slightly frustrated knowing that Bosnians have spoken about this for decades," he states. Rumours about 'weekend' or 'tourist' soldiers arriving from abroad circulated even during the war, though information travelled slowly in the pre-internet era.
Italian documents suggest this wasn't an isolated incident involving a few 'rotten apples'. Dozens of people allegedly participated, arriving in groups of five or six on weekends to engage in what survivors describe as 'human safaris'.
A Personal Memory of Terror
Bešo vividly recalls one traumatic incident from 1993 when his mother, brother, sister and he went to fetch food while staying with his great aunt south of Mostar. "On our way back, we were spotted by a sniper," he remembers. "My mum grabbed us and pulled us behind a stone wall."
For forty-five terrifying minutes, they lay trapped as the sniper fired repeatedly at their position. "I'll never forget the way she was shielding us, as if that might protect us," Bešo says. Now, with these new allegations, he wonders if that sniper might have been "someone who'd travelled from abroad, that was just there having a fun day out."
The psychological impact of learning that people might have travelled specifically to kill Bosnian civilians for pleasure adds another layer of trauma. "I find it so hard to accept that Bosnians had been dehumanised to such an extent in people's minds that this was acceptable," he reflects.
Delayed Justice and Ongoing Concerns
The fact that Italian prosecutors allegedly knew about these activities as early as 1993, yet it has taken thirty years for a proper investigation to begin, raises serious questions about accountability. Bešo notes that while the 1990s might feel distant, the perpetrators "could have been living among us for 30 years. They could be our friends, neighbours, colleagues, MPs."
Now living in the UK, which he describes as his "home and safe place", Bešo actively educates communities about the dangers of discrimination. However, he finds it "frightening to think that people who have participated in these atrocities could be living here."
He calls for the UK government to follow Italy's lead and open an immediate investigation, hoping that international collaboration will finally bring consequences for those involved. "For that terrified boy hiding from snipers with his family, and the thousands of others affected, that's the least we deserve," Bešo concludes.
