Bosnia is observing the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, carried out by Serbian forces in 1995 against the Bosnian Muslims. The massacre carried out by Bosnian Serb forces took the lives of 8,000 men and boys in one of the dark chapters in Europe’s post-World War II history.
Thousands of Bosnian Muslims gathered in the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia on Thursday to recall the 1995 massacre. On 11 July 1995, the Bosnian Serb forces took control of the eastern town, despite, it being a UN-designated protective zone, and the forces shot dead 8,000 people, including men and boys, in the coming days. The two international courts ruled that it was one of the worst massacres since World War II and therefore categorised it as a genocide.
One of the victim's family members, while remembering how the genocide unfolded, said, "It's hard when July comes. They ended up like this only because they had a (Muslim) name."
She lost dozens of male family members in the massacre, including her father and Husband. In May, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
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The resolution was only adopted after a fierce exchange between the United Nations members and Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs, who continue to play down the crime. However their opposition did not stop the General Assembly, and the resolution was later adopted to commemorate the victims of the genocide.
Meanwhile, the Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has repeatedly denied a genocide occurred and says his administration will not recognise the resolution. International prosecutors, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), have both ruled that the killing was carried out to target the group based on their identity.
Dodik, who, although defending, objected to the massacre claims, did not shy away from expressing solidarity with the victims. His X post read, "Regardless of our differences, we must show respect for the pain and suffering that has befallen many people of all nations and religions in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
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