Born to a raped mother during the Bosnian war – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Their mothers were raped by enemy soldiers during the war in Yugoslavia – and sometimes also by UN peacekeepers. Now they will be honored in Oslo. – When I found out that I am the result of a rape during the war, my first thought was that I am the worst thing that has happened to my mother. This is what 31-year-old Ajna Jusić tells news on the phone from Sarajevo. – I thought that every day I am a constant reminder of the worst my mother has been exposed to. Ajna Jusić is the daughter of Bosnian Muslim Sabina Jusić who was raped by a Croatian soldier during the war in Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1990s. The war resulted in over 100,000 deaths and there was extensive abuse against the civilian population. The war in the Balkans was called the worst in Europe after World War II. Even decades later, mass graves were found. This photo is from 31 October 2013 where attempts are being made to identify the remains. Photo: Ap According to the UN, between 30,000 and 50,000 women were raped. At least 4,000 children have been born as a result of the abuse, and Ajna Jusić is one of them. Until she was 15, she showed nothing about what her mother had been exposed to. The mother kept quiet about who the father was because she wanted to protect her daughter. But growing up without being able to answer who the father was led to bullying among the children and challenges in the public system. Every time public papers had to be signed, it was expected that the name of the father was given. When Ajna was in secondary school, another question from a teacher about who her father was led to her starting to investigate her surroundings. Ajna Jusić will soon travel to Oslo to receive the University of Oslo’s human rights award for her work with the organization that works to promote the cause of children of war-raped mothers. Photo: Lars Ankervold/UiO / The box with the truth One day she was alone at home and found a box of papers. – In the box were papers from the police, doctor and psychologist. It said that my mother was raped by a soldier when she was 22 years old. All details were documented. What happened to my mother during the rape and the injuries she suffered. Ajna read everything. – It was then that I understood that I was born out of hate and not love. Ajna felt like she didn’t know who she was anymore, her whole life was falling apart. Several months passed before Ajna spoke to her mother about what she had found out. When they finally spoke, it turned out that their mother’s big secret would bring them closer together. A loving stepfather was also supportive. Together they received psychological help to deal with the trauma. Many affected Eventually, Ajna met several other young people who were also the result of war rape. Alen Muhič, whom Ajna Jusić hugs here, is also the child of a raped mother. His adoptive parents told him about his background when he was growing up. Photo: Ajna Jusic / private Alen Muhič was left in a hospital after the birth. He was eventually adopted by an employee at the hospital. And Lejla Damon was adopted by a British journalist couple and moved to the UK. What they all saw was that, even though they were children of war, children of raped mothers had no protection or rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lack of a recognized birth certificate also creates many obstacles. Together they formed the Forgotten Children of War Association. The organization Forgotten Children and the War Association have had photo exhibitions where children of raped women and their mothers stand out. Photo: Ajna Jusic / Privat They are working to be recognized as civilian victims of war, regardless of the father’s identity and certified birth certificates. Among other things, they have worked out a legal framework that can be transferred to other countries. They also want war children to be seen, heard and told their stories while their mothers are still alive. They bring together children of war across ethnicity in a polarized society. Worldwide In 2018, Ajna decided to tell her story publicly. It resulted in a documentary in German DW. As a result, the organization and the “forgotten children” received international attention. – It is important because what we have been through happens all over the world during war, says Ajna to news. The organization’s biggest victory so far came in 2022, when Brčko District (which is an entity directly under the federal government of Bosnia and Herzegovina) decided to recognize children born of war rape as a separate victim group with legal status, like other civilian victims. Prize in Oslo Today it is known that the University of Oslo’s human rights prize goes to the organization Forgotten Children of War Association in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina with three prize winners: Ajna Jusić, Alen Muhič and Lejla Damon. They will come to Oslo for the award ceremony on 5 December, during Oslo Peace Days. Interested in more abroad? Listen to Urix’s podcast: Published 11.11.2024, at 06.31



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