Bratunac fair sparks controversy over nationalist song performances

Controversy has erupted following video footage from the ‘Makivije Bratunac 2026’ fair in Bosnia and Herzegovina, showing crowds singing the song ‘Ne volim te Alija’. The track, released in 1993 during the Bosnian War, is widely criticized for containing nationalist, chauvinistic, and offensive lyrics directed at Bosniaks.

One video shows a young child singing the song alongside members of Goca Bend, sparking debate over the exposure of minors to wartime and nationalist rhetoric. Unofficial reports suggest that Nenad Nešić, a former security minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, may have requested the song during the event, though this has not been officially confirmed.

This incident follows previous controversies involving the same song and similar nationalist displays at public events, including a regatta in Bajina Bašta. Human rights organizations have previously condemned the use of such music in the presence of children, labeling it an instrumentalization of youth to promote nationalism.