30 years after Srebrenica genocide, Bosnia urges global solidarity and remembrance

SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (MNTV) – On the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, survivors, officials, and rights groups came together to honor the more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys killed in July 1995 — the worst mass atrocity in Europe since World War II.

The massacre, carried out in what was then a UN-designated “safe area,” remains the only event officially recognized as genocide on European soil since the Holocaust. 

The solemn milestone was marked around the world, including at a moving ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan, where Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador Emin Cohodarevic addressed diplomats, civil society members, and scholars. 

“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide,” he said, recalling the mass killings carried out by Bosnian Serb forces as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing during the 1992–1995 Bosnian War.

Over 100,000 people were killed during the war, thousands of women raped, and more than two million displaced. 

The ambassador stressed the importance of collective memory and vigilance in today’s polarized world. 

“We stand together against those who try to divide us and recommit ourselves to opposing hatred, discrimination, and prejudice,” he said.

The ambassador also condemned ongoing genocide denial and the glorification of war criminals in parts of the region. 

His speech called for the institutional protection of international court rulings and the promotion of a culture of peace through education and dialogue.

Lack of closure, impunity for war-criminals

In Bosnia, thousands gathered at the Potocari memorial cemetery to bury seven newly identified victims. 

The remains were recovered from mass graves, many of which were disturbed and scattered in efforts to hide the crimes. 

Nearly 1,000 victims are still unaccounted for. Survivors continue to grieve while facing the pain of impunity and denial.

Amnesty International warned of rising denial and impunity. “As we mark this solemn milestone and honor the memory of the victims, we also pay tribute to their families and to organizations like Mothers of Srebrenica, who spent the last three decades in tireless pursuit of truth, justice and reparations,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe.

She added that while key perpetrators, including Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, have been convicted, nearly 1,000 victims of Srebrenica remain missing. “Families continue to live without answers, unable to lay their loved ones to rest or gain any real sense of closure,” she said.

Amnesty also condemned the ongoing denial of the genocide and efforts by senior officials in the region to celebrate convicted war criminals. “Such denial is not only a profound insult to victims and families — it is also a rejection of definitive international court rulings,” said Dissanayake.

Islamic Relief, which began providing aid in Bosnia just a month after the war began, joined the global commemoration. In a statement, it called on the international community to uphold the promise of “never again” — especially in light of current atrocities. 

“Last year, the International Court of Justice found it plausible that genocide could be occurring in Gaza,” the organization said. “Yet the world looks away.”

Poet and scholar Dzemaludin Latic, who penned the oratorio Srebrenica Inferno, said art plays a vital role in preserving memory. 

“We cannot ever fully repay our debt to the victims,” he said. “But through remembrance and resistance, we honor them.”