Sarajevo, Other Bosnian Cities Calm After Protests
Sarajevo and other Bosnian cities were rocked by violent protests on february 7.
SARAJEVO -- Sarajevo and other Bosnian cities wracked by fierce protests in recent days have remained quiet despite fears that violence could resume.
Firefighters in Sarajevo are still trying to try to put out flames in the headquarters of the capital’s cantonal government, which was set alight along with the presidential building on February 7.
Police say that 144 police and 20 civilians have been injured in three-days of unrest that have rocked Sarajevo and the northern city of Tuzla and which also spread on February 7 to Bihac, Zenica, and Banja Luka.
The protestors accuse government officials of corruption and of doing little to help the country's economy.
Bosnia is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with more than 40 percent of the population listed as unemployed or underemployed.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Calm After The Storm
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Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Calm After The Storm
An uneasy calm has now descended on Sarajevo and other Bosnian cities, which have been wracked by fierce protests in recent days. Many locations have been left scarred by violent demonstrations over accusations of corruption among government officials and the state of the country's economy. Bosnia is facing intensifying economic and social problems nearly 20 years after the end of the 1992-1995 civil war. The country of some 3.8 million people is one of the poorest in Europe, with many residents living below official poverty lines. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of Bosnians are unemployed or underemployed. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
In 2019, RFE/RL's Balkan Service marked 25 years of reporting in one of the world’s most contested regions, championing professionalism and moderation in a media landscape that is sharply divided along ethnic and partisan lines.
