Solemn gatherings took place in Srebrenica on Thursday as mourners commemorated the 1995 massacre of Bosnian Muslims, a dark chapter in history now officially recognized by the United Nations with a designated memorial day.
On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces overran Srebrenica, a UN-protected enclave in eastern Bosnia, and systematically killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys. This atrocity, the worst in Europe since World War II, has been ruled a genocide by two international courts.
“July is always difficult. They died just because they had Muslim names,” reflected Mevlida Hasanovic, as she prayed at the grave of her cousin, who was only 18 at the time of his death.
Hasanovic’s loss was profound, with a dozen male relatives, including her father and husband, among the victims. Her husband’s remains were interred in two different mass graves, necessitating two separate burials. Even now, she continues to search for the remains of her brother, hoping to find “at least one bone” to lay to rest.
“Their souls know we are here with them. When I come here, it feels like we just parted in Srebrenica,” she said.
In May, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 11 as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.” This resolution faced strong opposition from Serbia and Bosnian Serbs, who persist in downplaying the severity of the crime. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has repeatedly denied that a genocide occurred and refuses to recognize the UN resolution.
READ MORE: Convicted Terrorist Renounces Islamic State, Still Held in Isolation
Key figures such as Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic and military commander Ratko Mladic have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a UN court for their roles in the genocide and other war crimes.
The conflict in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995, involving Croats, Muslims, and Serbs, resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths. Nearly thirty years after the war, Bosnia remains ethnically divided.
On Thursday, the remains of 14 more victims, including a 17-year-old boy, were buried at a memorial cemetery in Potocari, near Srebrenica. Beriz Mujic, whose remains were found last year, was laid to rest beside his brother Hazim.
To date, 6,988 victims of the Srebrenica genocide have been buried, many under white tombstones in Potocari. Their remains were discovered in 87 mass graves. Bosnia’s institute for missing persons continues to search for around 1,000 people. The Bosnian Serb forces had attempted to cover up the genocide by moving victims’ bodies to secondary mass graves.
On Wednesday, the European Union, which Bosnia aspires to join, condemned the genocide, calling it “one of the darkest moments in modern European history.” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and EU enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi stated, “There is no place amongst us for those who deny genocide, attempt to rewrite history, and glorify war criminals.”
The annual commemoration ceremonies began on Monday with a 100km march towards Srebrenica. Thousands participated, starting from the village of Nezuk, the initial refuge of survivors days after the massacre.
