Annual Commemoration of Srebrenica Genocide Draws Thousands

The town of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina was filled with thousands of people from Bosnia and abroad who came to commemorate the victims of the 1995 genocide on Thursday. Despite the passage of twenty-nine years, the wounds of the massacre are still raw as families continue to lay their loved ones to rest at the memorial cemetery just outside of Srebrenica.

Ajla Efendic, who buried two of her uncles on Thursday, expressed the pain of losing family members who were defenseless and posed no threat to anyone. More than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims were killed in the genocide, with their remains often found scattered across various mass graves, adding to the agony of their families.

The Srebrenica killings marked the peak of the violent conflicts in Bosnia during the 1990s, with nationalist tensions and territorial ambitions fueling the atrocities committed by the Bosnian Serb army and police. Despite international recognition of the genocide, Serb officials continue to deny the events, further deepening ethnic divisions in the country.

The commemoration in Srebrenica comes shortly after the United Nations General Assembly designated July 11 as an international day of reflection and commemoration of the genocide. However, Serbian and Bosnian Serb leaders oppose this designation, claiming it wrongly portrays all Serbs as genocidal.

The denial of the Srebrenica genocide remains a contentious issue, with Bosnian Serb separatist President Milorad Dodik insisting that it never happened. European Union High Representative Josep Borrell emphasized the importance of remembering the victims and their families, striving to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated.

The legacy of the Srebrenica genocide is a painful reminder of the atrocities committed during the Bosnian war. Despite the convictions of several Bosnian Serb officials for war crimes, many still celebrate them as heroes, perpetuating the denial and minimizing the significance of the massacre.