Remembering Srebrenica: A Painful Reunion
As thousands gathered in Srebrenica, Bosnia, to honor the victims of the 1995 genocide, emotions ran high. Families wept as they buried loved ones whose remains had only recently been discovered.
During the massacre, Bosnian Serb forces killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys in what was deemed the worst massacre in Europe since World War II. Two international courts ruled it as genocide.
Kada Sikovic, who found fragments of her husband’s chin bone in 2010, finally laid him to rest alongside other victims. The discovery of remains in 87 mass graves continues, with around 1,000 people still missing.
The UN General Assembly declared July 11 as the International Day of Reflection for the Srebrenica Genocide, despite opposition from Serbia and Bosnian Serbs. The wounds of the 1992-1995 war continue to divide Bosnia along ethnic lines.
As Mevlida Hasanovic prayed at her cousin’s grave, she shared the pain of losing a dozen male relatives in the massacre. The EU condemned those who deny the genocide, emphasizing the importance of remembering this dark chapter in European history.