The Bosniak-American Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BAACBH) would like to wish the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) a happy Independence Day. On this day, nineteen years ago, BiH constituents voted in an independence referendum that called for a split from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The election was supervised by international election monitors and an overwhelming majority of BiH citizens voted for an independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the declaration of independence, BiH suffered genocide and ethnic cleansing that took over two hundred thousand lives and displaced over two million people. Today, as we celebrate BiH's independence, let us not forget all of the innocent victims that lost their lives during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War as well as all of the countless victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide across the world. Lastly, it is important to be aware that even though the Dayton Peace Accords ended the war, BiH continues to face numerous challenges on its path to EU membership and NATO accession. As we extend our congratulations to the people of BiH, BAACBH will continue to advocate for a democratic, multi-ethnic, indivisible and sovereign state of BiH.