UN Secretary General Antoniu Guterres on the 30th anniversary of the genocide in the Srebrenitsa, which occurred on July 11, 1995, called on the world community to vigilance and determination against the background of the growth of rhetoric of hatred, denial and disunity.
“30 years have passed since the Genocide in Srebrenitsa – the most terrible atrocity on European land since the Second World War,” the general secretary said.
GUERRISH recalled the systematic murder of more than 8,000 Bosnians, perfect in July 1995, as well as for the forcibly move of thousands of women, children and the elderly.
today is not just a memory day. It is also a day calling for vigilance and actions, ”he emphasized.
Secretary General noted that the international community should remain determined in the issue of confrontation with the language of hatred, denial and disunity, preventing compromises in matters of truth and justice. He also pointed out the importance of early identification of signs of possible violence and the need for timely intervention.
“We are obliged to observe international law, protect human rights, maintain the dignity of everyone and invest in the world and reconciliation,” said Guterres.
More than 1000 victims of genocide remain missing
July 11, 1995, during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the city of Srebrenitsa was captured by Serbian armed groups under the command of Ratko Mladic. After the invasion, thousands of civilians tried to hide in the zone protected by the Dutch UN battalion. However, they were subsequently transferred to Serbian forces.
Women and children were allowed to leave the territory, while more than 8,372 men and boys were killed – in forests, hangars, in factories. The bodies of the dead were buried in mass graves.
After the war ended, large -scale work began on the exhumation and identification of the remains. Since then, annually on July 11, mourning ceremonies and burials of the victims of the genocide are held in the memorial complex of Potocari.
Despite the past 30 years, the bodies of more than a thousand victims of the genocide have not yet been found.