The Audio Long Read ‘We know what is happening, we cannot walk away’: how the Guardian bore witness to horror in former Yugoslavia
Jun 2, 2025
Delve into the heart-wrenching narratives of journalists brave enough to document the Yugoslav Wars. Hear firsthand accounts of the fall of Srebrenica and the harrowing consequences of failed peacekeeping. Explore the tragic stories of refugees caught in chaos, including a poignant tale of a young woman’s suicide. Discover the complicated nature of NATO's airstrikes and the global reactions they sparked. Ultimately, reflect on how the Dayton Accords solidified ethnic divisions, reshaping the future of Bosnia.
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Rejecting Neutrality in War Reporting
- Guardian reporters Ed Vuliami and Maggie O'Kane rejected journalistic neutrality during Yugoslavia's war.
- Their vivid, passionate accounts spotlighted Bosnian Muslims as primary victims, stirring both praise and criticism.
O'Kane's Sarajevo Siege Entry
- Maggie O'Kane entered Sarajevo disguised as a passenger among Serbs to report from behind enemy lines.
- She described Sarajevo under siege as a dollhouse with the roof lifted by a giant firing mortars.
Reporting on Bosnian Concentration Camps
- O'Kane revealed concentration camps in Bosnia holding Muslims under horrific conditions.
- She gave vivid eyewitness accounts of prisoners in cattle wagons crying for water during ethnic cleansing.
