The last Serb in Afghanistan for B92.net: "I'm staying here"

The last Serb in Afghanistan for B92.net: "I'm staying here"

Images from Kabul have been shaking the world for days, and media reports are full of stories about (un)successful evacuations, both of foreigners and Afghans, who are trying in every way to leave that country.

It is still uncertain whether U.S. troops and other international forces will withdraw completely from Afghanistan on August 31, although the Taliban have sent a warning that the United States will regret extending that deadline. That is why the clock is ticking fast for all those who want to leave Afghanistan before power and control completely pass into the hands of the Taliban.

Among them, with a lot of trouble and effort, three of our citizens were evacuated. We read their stories days ago. However, they say, there are still our people in Afghanistan.

One for sure. Viktor Urošević works as the medical coordinator of the Emergency NGO Hospital in the town of Lashkar Gah, in the very "heart" of Taliban power. As he says in an exclusive interview for B92.net, he has no intention of leaving.

"I do not plan to evacuate and I have not contacted anyone regarding the evacuation. I am staying here," he says, adding that, based on the projections he has, "it should be very peaceful" in Laskah Gah. Urosevic has been in Afghanistan for more than three years.

About the reasons for his arrival in that country, destroyed by decades of wars and riots, he says: "Honestly, I came here to try to be part of a mission, a peacekeeping mission, to try another experience. On the recommendation of a friend, who is also from Serbia, I am here now. First I was in Kabul for two years, and then they set me up for coordinator in Helmand, and I've been here for a year and a couple of months. I like it here, I've found myself. "

Inevitably, the question arises as to whether he feels safe. "You know, when I came here, they said something that I'm going to tell you now - 'if you want to feel safe, don't come to Afghanistan.'"

He witnessed many difficult scenes. "There are no guarantees here. During my stay, I saw a lot of civilian casualties, which are collateral damage of the conflicts that were fought. Especially now, lately, since Helmand is the province where the biggest fights took place," he says.

It was also here that during the stay of U.S. and British troops that after their withdrawal there was a great expansion of violence. When asked what the situation looks like now in Lashkar Gah, Urošević says: "It is quite calm. I can say - unnaturally calm."

"We expect that there will be no more drastic changes here. Now there is a problem in the north, around the Panshire Valley. We expect fighting there in the next few days. If there is no peaceful solution, which I doubt. We are monitoring it, but in the south it is peaceful", he explains. Helmand province, where Lashkar Gah is located, is otherwise one of the largest strongholds of the Taliban and the part of Afghanistan from which most of their leaders, as well as fighters, come. Therefore, it is not surprising that Urošević said that, compared to the previous period, the way of life in Lashkar Gah has not changed much.

"You know, this province is one of the most radical provinces in Afghanistan," he explains, adding that such an attitude was also towards women's rights.

"As far as women are concerned, there was no great Europeanization here. They could not be seen without a burqa outside, even before these events," he states. Despite that, according to him, the female staff worked in the hospital before, and they remained at their jobs even after the change of regime.

"It was important to us that our female staff was not banned from working. And it is not. It is a step forward anyway. School is not banned yet, and they promised not to touch it. More precisely, they will not ban girls and women from attending classes. But the faculties have yet to start working, so that remains to be seen", he says.

Asked whether, after the announced withdrawal of troops under the control of the central government in Kabul, it was expected that the Taliban would launch an attack, he answered what seemed to be clear to everyone.

"Absolutely yes! Of course it was expected, it is something that they announced during the negotiations when they asked for withdrawal," Urošević is sure and explains that the Taliban started actions on May 1.

He states that everything happened in a flash and that practically the whole of Afghanistan was quickly conquered, although the conquest of large cities was not expected, which the Taliban promised not to touch.

"Lashkar Gah, where I am, is the first major city to be directly attacked. The Taliban entered the city in five days, despite three rings of security for government forces. They quickly overran everything," he said, noting that the Taliban were in Helmand province. They lived together with the others, so that is one of the factors why the change took place so quickly. What does life in Lashkar Gah look like now?

"From the time the offensive began until August 13, the city was completely blocked. There were fierce fighting, people fled the city. Planes bombed it, helicopters too. Yes, it really was a war zone," he said, adding that since then the city has completely opened up and life has continued.

"Shops, markets, roads are open. So, it's a normal situation," Urošević notes. He states that the exact number of victims of this conflict is unknown.

"We don't have an exact number, but it is certainly high. Our hospital is the only trauma center in the province. That means that all the wounded who did not succumb to injuries on the spot had to come to us. A large number of them, unfortunately, succumbed to injuries because they could not be transported to our hospital", concludes in an interview for B92.net Viktor Urošević, medical coordinator of the "Emergency NGO" hospital in Lashkar Gah, probably the last citizen of Serbia in Afghanistan.