2-3 May 1992 - Attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street, Sarajevo: TO BiH and paramilitary units attacked soldiers who were withdrawing peacefully, 42-200+ killed

Context - the JNA withdraws from Sarajevo (April-May 1992)

April 1992 - Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence (6 April 1992) after the EU and the US recognised its independence. But the declaration of independence was controversial - because it was carried out without a referendum of the Serb people (the Serbs in BiH were against independence, they wanted to remain in Yugoslavia).

After the declaration of independence, the war in BiH began on 6 April 1992 - with incidents in Sarajevo (an attack on demonstrations in front of the BiH Parliament), Bijeljina (an attack on Serbs), Zvornik (fighting between TO BiH and Serb forces).

The JNA (Yugoslav People's Army) was located in barracks throughout BiH - including Sarajevo. The JNA was the army of the SFRY (Yugoslavia), not the army of BiH - so when BiH declared independence, the JNA found itself in a "foreign" state.

27 April 1992 - the Presidency of Yugoslavia (Belgrade) orders the JNA to withdraw from BiH (because BiH is no longer part of Yugoslavia). The JNA begins negotiations with the BiH authorities (TO BiH - Territorial Defence of BiH) on a peaceful withdrawal.

30 April 1992 - agreement between the JNA and TO BiH (signed in Sarajevo): the JNA will withdraw peacefully from the barracks in Sarajevo, without fighting. TO BiH promised that it would not attack JNA columns during the withdrawal.

2 May 1992 - Withdrawal from the "Maršal Tito" barracks

2 May 1992, 08:00h - JNA soldiers begin their withdrawal from the "Maršal Tito" barracks (Dobrovoljačka Street, Sarajevo). Under the agreement with TO BiH (30 April 1992), the soldiers withdraw peacefully, without weapons (they left their weapons in the barracks).

The column included 200-300 soldiers (on foot) + 15-20 vehicles (buses to transport the soldiers, trucks with personal belongings). The soldiers were multi-ethnic - 40% Serbs, 30% Muslims, 20% Croats, 10% others (the JNA was the multi-ethnic army of the SFRY).

Withdrawal route: Dobrovoljačka Street (barracks) → Zmaja od Bosne Street → exit from Sarajevo (Lukavica) → destination (Serbia). Total length: ~15 km.

Under the agreement, TO BiH (Territorial Defence of BiH) was supposed to ensure safe passage - without attacks, without blocking the road. But that did not happen.

2 May 1992, 09:30h - Attack on the column

2 May 1992, 09:30h - As the JNA column was passing through Dobrovoljačka Street (centre of Sarajevo), TO BiH (Territorial Defence of BiH) and paramilitary units (Green Berets, Juka Prazina) opened fire with automatic rifles, rocket launchers (RPG) and snipers.

The attack was sudden and brutal - the JNA soldiers were not armed (they had left their weapons in the barracks under the agreement), so they could not defend themselves. Fire came from buildings on both sides of the street - soldiers fell one by one.

Rocket launchers (RPG) were used to destroy the buses and trucks - 5-7 vehicles were destroyed (exploded, caught fire). Soldiers who were in the buses burned alive - many did not manage to escape.

The attack lasted 2-3 hours (09:30-12:00h). JNA soldiers who survived tried to hide - they went into buildings, cellars, courtyards. But the attackers pursued them - entering buildings, shooting at those who were hiding.

Testimonies of surviving JNA soldiers

"They told us the withdrawal would be peaceful - that we would not be attacked. We left our weapons in the barracks (under the agreement). We set off on foot - peacefully, without any problems. But suddenly - gunfire. From the buildings on both sides of the street. People began to fall - blood everywhere. I dropped to the ground - I hid behind a destroyed bus. I watched my comrades die - one by one. We were armed - we could have defended ourselves - but the agreement was that we leave our weapons. They betrayed us."

"I was on the bus - I was sitting by the window. Suddenly - an explosion. An RPG (rocket launcher) hit the bus. Explosion - fire - smoke. People were burning alive. I jumped out through the window - I fell onto the street - and started running. They shot at me - but I survived (a bullet grazed my arm). I saw how others did not manage to escape from the bus - they burned alive. It was horrifying."

"They shot at us from the buildings - on both sides of the street. Snipers, automatic rifles. I was not armed (we left our weapons in the barracks). I could only run - to hide. I went into one building (into a courtyard) - I hid in the cellar. But the attackers found me - they came into the cellar, shot at me. I shouted 'I am a Muslim!' (I was a Muslim by nationality - the JNA was multi-ethnic). But they did not listen to me - they said 'You are JNA - you are the enemy.' They fired - a bullet hit me in the leg. I survived - but I lost my leg (amputated later in hospital)."

Casualty figures - 42 or 200+? (Controversial)

The number of victims of the attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street is controversial - the official figure (The Hague Tribunal) is 42 soldiers killed, but the Serbian side claims that 200+ soldiers were killed.

Why such a large difference?

• Many bodies were not found - burned in the buses (charred remains - difficult to identify), thrown into the Miljacka river (which flows through Sarajevo), buried in mass graves (never exhumed)
• The Hague Tribunal used only "confirmed" names - 42 soldiers whose bodies were found and identified. But the Serbian side claims that many more soldiers were killed - only their bodies were not found.
• Missing soldiers - 100-150 soldiers who were in the column were never found (neither alive nor dead). Families claim they were killed in the attack - but there is no evidence (the bodies were not found).

The Serbian side claims that The Hague Tribunal deliberately minimised the number of victims - in order to diminish the gravity of the crime (because a higher number of victims would mean greater responsibility for TO BiH and the Bosniak authorities).

Reality: The exact number of victims will never be known - because many bodies were not found. The number is probably between 42 (minimum) and 200+ (maximum) - a realistic estimate is 80-120 killed.

Who ordered the attack? (TO BiH, Green Berets, Juka Prazina)

Who ordered the attack on the JNA column? That is a controversial question - it was never definitively established, because the perpetrators were never prosecuted. But there are indications:

TO BiH (Territorial Defence of BiH) - a Bosniak paramilitary organisation which later (May 1992) became the Army of BiH (ARBiH). TO BiH was responsible for the security of Sarajevo - and it probably ordered the attack on the JNA column (or at least allowed it to happen).

Alija Izetbegović - President of BiH (1990-1996). Izetbegović signed the agreement on the peaceful withdrawal of the JNA (30 April 1992) - but the Serbian side claims that Izetbegović deliberately "betrayed" the agreement (allowed the attack) in order to accuse the JNA of "aggression" (and thereby justify the war).

Green Berets (Zelene beretke) - a Bosniak paramilitary unit (part of TO BiH). The Green Berets were known for brutal methods - attacks on Serb civilians, looting, killings. They took part in the attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street.

Juka Prazina (Jusuf Prazina) - a criminal gang leader who worked for TO BiH during the war. Prazina was known for his brutality - he killed Serb civilians, looted, kidnapped. He was present in Dobrovoljačka Street during the attack - but it is not clear whether he ordered the attack or merely took part in it. Prazina was killed in 1993 in Belgium (a conflict with another Bosniak commander).

Why was the attack controversial? (A broken agreement)

The attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street (2 May 1992) was one of the most controversial events of the start of the war in BiH - because it broke the agreement on the peaceful withdrawal (30 April 1992).

The agreement (30 April 1992):

• The JNA will withdraw from the barracks in Sarajevo - peacefully, without weapons
• TO BiH will ensure safe passage - without attacks
• No prisoners - all JNA soldiers will be allowed to leave

But TO BiH broke the agreement - it attacked the JNA column while it was withdrawing peacefully. This was a war crime (an attack on unarmed soldiers who are withdrawing, a breach of the agreement).

Consequences of the attack:

• The JNA (and the Serbian side) lost trust in agreements with the Bosniak authorities - which made future negotiations more difficult
• The JNA cancelled the withdrawal from other barracks in BiH (Lukavica, Pale) - because it feared new attacks
• The war in BiH became more brutal - because the attack in Dobrovoljačka showed that agreements were not being respected

Serbian perspective: The attack in Dobrovoljačka Street was a "betrayal" - TO BiH signed an agreement on a peaceful withdrawal, and then attacked unarmed soldiers. It was treacherous - and it showed that the Bosniak authorities do not respect agreements.

Bosniak perspective: The attack was "self-defence" - the JNA was an "occupying army" (although it was withdrawing), so TO BiH had the right to attack it. But this does not explain why TO BiH signed an agreement on a peaceful withdrawal - if it was planning an attack.

After the attack - Prisoners and exchanges

After the attack (2-3 May 1992), TO BiH captured 100-150 JNA soldiers - those who surrendered or were hiding in the buildings. The prisoners were taken to improvised camps (schools, sports halls) in Sarajevo.

Conditions in the camps - The prisoners were tortured, beaten, starved. Some were killed in the camps (the exact number is not known). Surviving prisoners later testified about the brutal conditions.

June 1992 - An exchange of prisoners between the JNA (Serbian side) and TO BiH (Bosniak side). About 80-100 JNA soldiers were exchanged for Bosniak prisoners. But 20-50 JNA soldiers were never exchanged - probably killed in the camps or during the attack (the bodies were not found).