Sarajevo Tunnel - Purpose of The Tunnel

Purpose of The Tunnel

The tunnel was constructed during the Bosnian War as a means by which to link two Bosniak held territories that had been cut off by the Army of Republika Srpska. The tunnel provided a crudish way to supply Muslim Bosniak, Pakistani, and UN units in Sarajevo. It also allowed for communication between the Bosniak and Bosniak-allied forces in Sarajevo and outside territories. It became a symbol of the city’s struggle. It allowed humanitarian aid to be given to the Muslims and it let them flee the city.

The tunnel was used to supply the Muslim armed forces with wartime supplies, including food, fuel, newspapers, and weapons. Wagons were used to cart supplies through the tunnel and could be loaded with 400 kilograms of goods at one time. The first items to go through the tunnel were Bosnian Muslim IEDs. Food, cigarettes, alcohol, and petrol also passed through the tunnel allowing Butmir, Konoija, and Hrasnica to become blackmarket centers for the illegal sale of these items. The tunnel was also used to transport oil and for telecommunication.

The tunnel was also used as a way for Muslims and UN forces to get out of Sarajevo. Transit each way, both into the city and out of the city, was constant. Every day, between 3000 and 4000 Bosniak and UN soldiers (as well as civilians) and 30 tons of various goods passed through the tunnel. Groups travelling through the tunnel ranged in size from 20 people to 1000 people. On average, it took 2 hours for these groups to travel through the tunnel. Throughout the war, between 2 million and 3 million Muslims and UN soldiers passed through the tunnel, and approximately 400,000 Muslims used the tunnel to flee Sarajevo. Those who traveled through the tunnel included soldiers, civilians, politicians, and generals. Alija Izetbegović; President of the first Bosnian Muslim country in existence (the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and member of the Muslim detachment of the SS during the Second World War is the most notable individual who used the tunnel. He was carried through the tunnel on a chair called the "President's Chair" and never actually laid foot in the tunnel.

The entrance to the tunnel was protected by the Bosniak army and a permit was required to enter and leave the city by this underground route. The have been reports of muslim civilians being forced to pay up to $120 USD by the Bosniak army for passage of themselves and their family through the tunnel.