The incident was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust during World War II.
It left deep emotional scars on the survivors, families of victims and the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole, after the wars and ethnic cleansing that marked the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, which began in 1992.
One of the witnesses to the terrible events in Srebrenica was Kada Hotić, who lost her husband, son and fifty other family members.
As the ‘Mother of Srebrenica’, she is a member of the advocacy group representing some 6,000 survivors. She is dedicated to building a new future for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where people can live in peace, regardless of their ethnicity.
Teach our children
Ms Hotić was at the UN headquarters in New York. She spoke with UN Newswhich emphasizes the importance of commemorating the genocide in Srebrenica and reflecting on what happened.
“It serves as a warning to future generations so that it never happens to anyone again.,” she said.
“The children are taught so that they know what is good and what is bad, and what kind of evil dirty wars like these bring… we don’t need wars, we must vote for life and not for the suffering in life.”
The International Day
This year’s commemoration follows the General Assembly formal designation from July 11th as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide of 1995.
In May, the General Assembly adopted a resolution with the same title – by 84 votes to 19, with 68 abstentions – calling on Member States to protect the established facts, including through education, aimed at preventing denial and distortion of future cases of genocide.
One of the main negative voices was that of Serbia. The President of Serbia called the text of the resolution “highly politicized” and argued that it would “open a Pandora’s box.”
“This is not about reconciliation, not about memories, this is something that just opens an old wound and creates complete political chaos. Not only in our region, but even here, in this hall,” he said.
UN Video/Jessica Jiji
Shoes found in a mass grave where victims of Srebrenica were buried.
The Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre marks one of the darkest chapters of the war that broke out after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb army captured Srebrenica – previously stated a safe haven through the Security Council – and brutally murdered thousands of men and teenagers, driving 20,000 people from the city.
A small and lightly armed unit of Dutch peacekeepers under the UN flag could not resist the Bosnian Serb force.
The brutal massacres of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by the army of the Republic of Srpska were recognized as an act of genocide By the International Court of Justice (IGH) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Always remain vigilant
Speaking on Thursday high-level commemorative eventDennis Francis, President of the General Assembly, stressed that “the lessons of Srebrenica are clear.”
“Intolerance and bigotry – when allowed to flourish – culminate in cruelties that defy all understandinghe emphasized.
“We must always remain vigilant and guard against rhetoric that dehumanizes, degrades and discriminates against any group. …because such rhetoric is always rooted in hatred, and – if left unchecked – always leads to unspeakable evil,” he urged.
Assembly President Francis also stressed the continued relevance of the commemoration, with divisive rhetoric sounding “wider, louder and deeper than ever before”.
“Let us use this new International Day to honor the lost, to educate (future) generations, to unite communities and to combat hatred in all its forms – I repeat – in all its forms. This is essential to ensure that everyone – regardless of race, creed or nationality – feels safe in their community.”
The commemoration event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN, co-sponsored by some 22 other countries, including Rwanda.
© UNICEF/Roger LeMoyne
Barbed wire around a camp for some 25,000 displaced people from Srebrenica. The fence was there to prevent people from wandering into the surrounding fields, which may have been cleared. (Photo from 1995)
Fighting Denial
Alice Wairimu Nderitu, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, also read a foreword during the event message by Secretary-General António Guterres.
“29 years ago the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica… today, we honor the memory of the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors,” she said.
Ms Nderitu stressed the UN’s support for the families of the victims in their efforts to seek justice and uncover the truth, adding that “we must fight denial and revisionism and make efforts to identify every victim and hold every perpetrator accountable.”
She stressed that the genocide in Srebrenica is a “glaring demonstration” of the consequences of inaction in the face of hatred.
“We must fight against division and intolerance, stand up for human rights and promote mutual understanding and reconciliation.,” she said.
