Slavko Aleksić, the infamous Chetnik commander and leader of the paramilitary unit “Novosarajevski četnički odred”, has died in Trebinje, reports N1 Sarajevo. Aleksić was also linked to the controversial “Sarajevo Safari” sniper operations targeting civilians during the siege.
Aleksić, born in 1956 in Bogdašići, became one of the most controversial figures associated with the Bosnian War and the prolonged siege of Sarajevo, where he was remembered as a symbol of sniper and military terror against civilians.
Military Career and Role in Sarajevo
Aleksić spent much of his life in Sarajevo, where he studied law and became involved in nationalist movements in the late 1980s. By 1990, he was active in reviving the Chetnik movement in Sarajevo and joined the Serbian Radical Party.
After a killing outside the Old Orthodox Church in Baščaršija on March 1, 1992, Aleksić assumed command of the Novosarajevski četnički odred, based in Grbavica. During the siege of Sarajevo, his units were stationed on front lines, particularly around Grbavica and the Jewish Cemetery, areas known for some of the deadliest sniper fire targeting civilians.
Although numerous reports and testimonies linked his forces to attacks on civilians, Aleksić was never prosecuted by domestic or international courts. During the war, he was wounded multiple times and also commanded a unit of Russian volunteers. In 1993, he was declared a Chetnik vojvoda by both Vojislav Šešelj and Momčilo Đujić.
Following the NATO bombing and the Dayton Peace Agreement, Aleksić led the withdrawal of Serbian forces and part of the population from Grbavica in March 1996. After the war, he moved to eastern Herzegovina, near Bileća, continuing political and ideological activities through Chetnik and royalist organizations.
Controversial Legacy and “Sarajevo Safari”
In recent years, Aleksić’s name resurfaced in connection with the “Sarajevo Safari” investigation in Milan, concerning alleged organized sniper attacks on civilians during the siege. Some media reports have linked Aleksandar Vučić, current President of Serbia, to this unit during the war. Vučić has denied involvement, stating that he was sent to Pale solely as a journalist because of his English language skills.
Aleksić’s death has reopened debates about unpunished war crimes and the lasting legacy of the siege of Sarajevo, one of the darkest chapters in modern Bosnian history.
Impact of the Siege
The siege lasted 1,425 days from April 5, 1992, to February 29, 1996, and is considered the longest siege of a capital city in modern history. Civilians faced constant sniper fire, shelling, and systematic terror, with over 11,500 people killed, including more than 1,600 children. Tens of thousands were wounded, and residents lived without reliable water, electricity, or heating.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) classified the siege as an organized campaign against civilians, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many members of the Army of Republika Srpska have been convicted for crimes related to the siege, including sniper attacks.
Aleksić’s name remains a symbol in Sarajevo of sniper terror and the broader horrors of the siege.
