Scars: Stories of Returnees

The story of returnees, envisioned as the final episode of the series Scars, brings together those who, after living abroad—where they ended up during the whirlwind of war—returned to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they face numerous challenges but also deep ties to their roots.

In conversations with returnees from the areas of Sanski Most, Kotor Varoš, and Mostar, despite geographical and ethnic differences, a few things remain consistent. Returning home has been a struggle full of challenges, but they have managed to overcome them successfully.

Although Croatian villages once thrived with life, today, in Kotor Varoš, it is mostly elderly returnees who remain.

Kotor Varoš

Mato Marić from Vrbanjci near Kotor Varoš spent decades working in Germany, and upon returning to his hometown, he restored his house, which had been destroyed during the war, using his own funds.

“There's no youth. Those of us who are here are all retirees and elderly people. Maybe those who stayed have a total of nine children among them,” Marić laments.

He describes coexistence with neighbors as positive but points to the lack of infrastructure as a significant issue.

“As for living with the neighbors, there are no problems; we all get along well. The only issue is infrastructure. For example, there’s asphalt in front of my house, but others can't reach their homes. The return of Croats is extremely difficult because these Croatian villages have no roads, they’re not maintained, and it’s hard to rebuild them. Before the war, there were over 11,000 Croats in Kotor Varoš, and now there are 180. That number speaks to the scale of Croat return to Kotor Varoš.”

A persistent issue faced by returnees in recent years is illegal logging, which authorities either cannot or will not prevent.

“Private property is being destroyed without anyone's knowledge, roads are being ruined, forestry officials and private sawmill owners are causing havoc. We repair roads with our own funds, and within a month, they’re destroyed again. If we set up a barrier, the municipal police come and cut it down so the logging can continue.”

A similar story is told by Zlatko Bujdo, who divides his time between Switzerland and the village of Podbrđe in the Kotor Varoš municipality. He, too, restored his property without any assistance. Despite his efforts, he faces institutional neglect, contributing to the feeling that returnees are left to fend for themselves. His home is surrounded by logged forests and poorly maintained infrastructure.

“I have my property here; I rebuilt my house on my own, received nothing from anyone. Everything was self-financed. I own some land, a small forest, and some meadows. What we can do, we handle ourselves. Two years ago, my forest was logged. We called the commission, police, forest rangers, and other relevant authorities, but nothing came of it. To this day, I haven’t even received a report. We no longer trust institutions; we feel abandoned,” he comments bitterly.

“When the war began, my family was forcibly displaced, and I was abroad. I had property, my tractor disappeared, weapons were confiscated, and no one has returned anything. I inquired about it, but to no avail. Ten years ago, my car was stolen from the garage, but no one did anything. I haven’t been physically abused, except for one threat when I was intercepted because of the forest. They asked me what I was doing there and told me to watch myself. Podbrđe was 98 percent Catholic before the war. Now it’s mixed, with a predominantly Orthodox population. There are few returnees; we spend weekends and holidays here, but only a handful of us live here permanently. During every election, promises are made for road repairs and water supply, but after the elections, everything is forgotten. Forests are being logged, springs are drying up, and if this continues, there won’t be any water in ten years. What they cut from us is one thing, but what about protecting nature and wildlife? No one is doing anything. Bears come around, deer have disappeared; there aren’t five deer left to count. About 300 hectares of forest have been illegally logged near me, and even more further away. Around 85 percent of the forest has been cut, it’s been massacred,” he says while showing the cleared forest.

Sanski Most

Vojislav Kondić, who returned to the village of Podovi from Slovenia, is rebuilding his property and preserving the memory of his father, who died during the war. Although returnees like him try to rebuild the community, institutions have shown little interest in providing support. Kondić maintains good relations with neighbors and emphasizes that ordinary people have always sought cooperation, regardless of past conflicts.

“Our father was killed here, murdered in 1995. He was buried in a neighboring village because it wasn’t possible here. He lived here alone. None of us four brothers were present—our eldest brother was in Germany, I was in Velenje, the third brother was in Belgrade, and the fourth in Ljubljana. I decided to return in 2002, moved my father from the Kozice cemetery, took him to Banja Luka where the cause of death was determined, and then relocated him to our family cemetery.”

Mitar Popović, who also returned to Podovi from Slovenia, speaks of an unprosecuted war crime that affected his family but is grateful for a donation from Republika Srpska for house restoration. Although returnees are a minority, he emphasizes that they live without any community issues.

“My mother died here, as did two or three uncles and a cousin from a neighboring village—five were killed in total. This happened on September 21, 1995. No one has been prosecuted for the crime. We gave statements, three of us from here, but nothing has been initiated. I don’t know if the process ever started, but there’s no information about who did it.”

Mostar

Enes Rahimić, a former handball player and private entrepreneur, has been building a life in Gubavica near Mostar since returning from Switzerland.

In a rugged area, he built a property that was initially intended only for himself and his family, but over time, it has also been adapted for tourism.

“This house was originally meant for me and my brothers, as a family home and a place to gather with friends. However, things went in a different direction, and the property expanded, so now it can even generate income. If this is a good way to return to one’s own, then I’ve succeeded. I spent six and a half years in Switzerland, and that helped me when I started this project. It’s a country where the law is respected, everything is regulated, from the smallest to the largest matters,” he notes, comparing the situation there to what he encountered in BiH.

Although he has achieved financial stability, he faces issues such as poor roads, the construction of solar plants near his property, and frequent water shortages.

“People have returned en masse because this is a suburban area near Mostar, close to everything. However, returnees received homes and houses, but we all know you can’t live off a house. The roads are terrible, and the water supply doesn’t function properly. This year was tough; there were periods when we were without water for 15 days, and in Herzegovina, when the temperature is over 40 degrees, that’s a huge problem. I suffered massive losses. As for the solar plants, as an individual, I have no moral right to forbid anyone from building them, but I can demand that investors follow the law. If they have to build solar plants, let’s make an agreement, place two or three, and stop there. Living space must be preserved for the people because I don’t plan on leaving. I came here to live, work, and die,” Rahimić tells investors.

Enes expresses a desire to attract family and young people from the diaspora, calling on politicians to recognize the importance of the diaspora for the future of BiH.

“My greatest wish is for my brothers to be with me. That’s when I’m happiest. When the brothers are here, the children will also want to come back. This is an opportunity to send a message to politicians—the diaspora is important. Our people are educated, have good jobs and incomes. Attract them, establish proper legal frameworks, and let the youth return. We have everything we need for BiH to become another Switzerland in Europe.”