Within roughly a week of their arrival on April 8, 1992, Bosnian Serb forces were in control of Foča – a town in south-eastern Bosnia near the border with Montenegro. [1-2]. But the violence ensued.  

Bosnian Muslims who unsuccessfully tried to flee were either killed or imprisoned in detention centers in dire conditions. Bosnian Muslim women and girls were detained separately from the men at multiple locations and raped by soldiers, often multiple times per day. Some girls were sold by soldiers to other soldiers to rape and abuse. [3] 

During one criminal trial, the prosecutor asked a victim, who was only 15 years old when she was held captive for nine months and continuously raped, “Are you able to count how many time you were raped . . . ?” to which she responded, “I don’t think that is possible” because of the number of times it happened. [4]

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has made historical impacts on the development of international criminal law relating to sexual violence. In Prosecutor v. Kunarac et al., the ICTY was the first court in history to find that sexual enslavement constitutes a crime against humanity based on the events in Foča. [5] 

Sexual violence has been used as an “instrument of terror” in conflict around the world. [6] This type of violence reaches the psyche of the victim, robs the victim of his or her dignity, and condemns them to life with wounds that likely will never heal. Recognizing that sexual violence is a crime against humanity is one of the impacts of the ICTY that can now be applied to the prosecution of crimes in other attacks against a civilian population around the world. 

It is difficult to understand in any conflict how war morphs men into committing heinous acts. When the trial court in Kunarac read its verdict, the judge offered insight on this issue. “The three accused are not ordinary soldiers, whose morals were merely loosened by the hardships of war. These are men with no known criminal past. However, they thrived in the dark atmosphere of the dehumanisation of those believed to be enemies, when one would not even ask, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, 'Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home...’” [7]

In addition to sexual violence, the Bosnian Serb army set Bosnian Muslim homes on fire and destroyed all mosques in Foča, including the Aladza mosque which was built around 1550 in classical Ottoman style. [8] The Aladza, a UNESCO world heritage site, was finally rebuilt 27 years later and reopened in May 2019. 

Before the conflict, over 20,000 Muslims lived in the Foča municipality. At the end of the conflict, only a handful of Muslims remained. [10]

Foča lies within the Republika Srpska.

To read more about crimes of sexual violence against both men and women, go to Čelebići in Central Bosnia and Prijedor. 

Travel Tips

• At the northern entrance to Foča, there are signs pointing to the Sand Pyramids, a natural formation of red soil high in the mountains that resembles a hand emerging from the earth. The Sand Pyramids are underwhelming, but the drive to the top of the mountain provides beautiful views of mountains and small hillside villages on the other side of Foča. The road has many potholes and requires cautious driving. 

• Foča is situated on the Drina River. Many tour operators offer adventure activities in the area, such as river rafting and canyoning.