Thousands of individuals from Bosnia and around the world gathered in Srebrenica for the annual remembrance of the 1995 genocide, a tragic event that Serb officials persist in denying, further fostering ethnic tensions and divisions in the war-torn nation.
A total of 13 men and one teenage boy, who were brutally murdered 29 years ago, were buried at a memorial cemetery near Srebrenica on Thursday, adding to the more than 6,600 victims already laid to rest at the site.
The massacre in July 1995, carried out by the Bosnian Serb army and police, resulted in the deaths of over 8,000 Bosniak Muslims in a series of violent attacks.
Due to the fragmented nature of the remains found in various mass graves, families of the victims can only bury partial parts of their loved ones, adding to their grief and suffering.
The Srebrenica massacre occurred during Bosnia’s 1992-95 war following the disintegration of Yugoslavia, igniting nationalistic fervor and territorial disputes among Bosnian Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks, who are predominantly Muslim.
The recent commemoration took place shortly after the United Nations General Assembly declared July 11 as the annual international day for reflecting on and honoring the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, a move fiercely opposed by Serbia and Bosnian Serb officials who argue it unfairly maligns all Serbs.
Disputing the genocide label, Bosnian Serb leaders characterize the massacre as a “terrible crime” and minimize the death toll, fueling ongoing tensions.
President of the Board of Directors of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, Hamdija Fejzic, condemned the denial of genocide, emphasizing the need to confront the atrocities that occurred and acknowledge the suffering of the victims and their families.
European Union High Representative Josep Borrell underscored the significance of remembering Srebrenica, labeling it a haunting scar in European history and stressing the responsibility to prevent such atrocities from recurring in an increasingly fragile world.
On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces targeted the U.N.-protected safe area of Srebrenica, separating and executing over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys, concealing their bodies in mass graves to obscure the evidence of their heinous acts.
Although key figures like Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic have faced justice for their roles in the genocide, many Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials continue to glorify them as national heroes while denying or diminishing the Srebrenica massacre, deepening the pain of survivors and the families of victims.
