Latest news with #BosnianSerbs
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Thousands gather in Srebrenica on 30th anniversary of Europe's only acknowledged genocide since WWII
Advertisement 'Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone,' she said, crying by her father's coffin which was wrapped in green cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition. 'I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 [killed] from my entire family,' she added. July 11, 1995, is the day when the killings started after Bosnian Serb fighters overran the eastern Bosnian enclave in the final months of the interethnic war in the Balkan country. After taking control of the town that was a protected UN safe zone during the war, Bosnian Serb fighters separated Bosniak Muslim men and boys from their families and brutally executed them in just several days. The bodies were then dumped in mass graves around Srebrenica which they later dug up with bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the evidence of their war crimes. Advertisement The UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide on the July 11 anniversary. Scores of international officials and dignitaries attended the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral. Among them were European Council President Antonio Costa and Britain's Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, who said that 'our duty must be to remember all those lost so tragically and to never let these things happen again.' Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said he felt 'humbled' because UN troops from the Netherlands were based in Srebrenica when Bosnian Serbs stormed the town. 'I see to what extent commemorating Srebrenica genocide is important,' he said. In an emotional speech, Munira Subasic, who heads the Mothers of Srebrenica association, urged Europe and the world to 'help us fight against hatred, against injustice, and against killings.' Subasic, who lost her husband and youngest son in Srebrenica along with more than 20 relatives, told Europe to 'wake up.' 'As I stand here many mothers in Ukraine and Palestine are going through what we went through in 1995,' Subasic said, referring to ongoing conflicts. 'It's the 21st century but instead of justice, fascism has woken up.' On the eve of the anniversary, an exhibition was inaugurated displaying personal items belonging to the victims that were found in the mass graves over the years. The conflict in Bosnia erupted in 1992, when Bosnian Serbs took up arms in a rebellion against the country's independence from the former Yugoslavia and with an aim to create their own state and eventually unite with neighboring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions displaced before a US-brokered peace agreement was reached in 1995. Advertisement Bosnia remains ethnically split while both Bosnian Serbs and neighboring Serbia refuse to acknowledge that the massacre in Srebrenica was a genocide despite rulings by two UN courts. Bosnian Serb political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, along with many others, were convicted and sentenced for genocide. Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic expressed condolences on X while calling the Srebrenica massacre a 'terrible crime.' 'There is no room in Europe — or anywhere else — for genocide denial, revisionism, or the glorification of those responsible,' European Council President Costa said in his speech. 'Denying such horrors only poisons our future.'
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Duchess Sophie praises 'clear message' of mums who lost sons in massacre
The Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to Bosnia where 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred by Bosnian Serbs in July 1995 during the brutal wars in former Yugoslavia The King delivered an emotional message to the mothers of those who lost sons in the Srebrenica massacre telling them their courage is a "lesson to us all". His words were delivered personally by the Duchess of Edinburgh who travelled to Bosnia to attend a memorial as thousands descended on the town where 8,000 Muslim men and boys were brutally massacred by Bosnian Serbs in July 1995 during the Bosnian War on its 30th anniversary And speaking to the Mirror Sophie told her of pride at being able to deliver the message on the King's behalf as she heard the harrowing stories of women - one of whom had lost 23 relatives in the genocide. The Duchess started the day at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, which is housed in an old battery factory, where thousands sought refuge in the lead up to the fall of Srebrenica during the war, which saw Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims engage in a brutal conflict during the break-up of Yugoslavia. Once inside she paused to reflect on the belongings including shoes, jackets and shirts of some of those killed by Bosnian Serb forces that are displayed in a UK- funded exhibition. Sophie delivered a message from the King in which he said he was 'greatly saddened' not to be there in person, adding that he is 'most touched and grateful to be able to share these words as we pay our respects'. In his message, Charles said: 'I have spoken before about the terrible events of thirty years ago, confirmed as genocide by international courts. Many of the individuals responsible are now rightly facing justice, but this does not absolve the rest of us of our duties: both to acknowledge the international community's failure to prevent the horror, and to do all we can to ensure it never happens again. 'I humbly salute the Mothers of Srebrenica, and all who do so much, despite their continuing anguish, to preserve the memory of those who died. It has meant a very great deal to me, in past years, to have met survivors, mothers and family members of the missing, for whom I have such admiration. Their extraordinary courage, compassion and dignity are a lesson to us all, and it is my hope that we may all take inspiration from their incredible resilience under such unbearable circumstances.' After the ceremony, Sophie visited the Srebrenica Memorial Cemetery where the remains of some 7,000 people killed during the massarce are buried before meeting a group of women whose sons were murdered in genocide. There she hugged the women and was moved as she listened to their stories, including from one women who spoke of her pain of losing 23 family members in the Genocide - with three still missing. They spoke of their struggles for justice and with Sophie pledging to them she would use her platform to do all she can to highlight their plight. Speaking to the Mirror afterwards, she revealed how shocking it had been to hear first-hand the pain still be suffered more than three decades on and said she hopes people never forget so massacres such as these never happen again. She said: "For myself, meeting with the Mothers of Srebrenica, they are very much the peace builders here. So they've managed to live with their grief but alongside all of that they've been sending a very clear message that they need resolution, reconciliation and need to bury their loved ones. And they've helped so many thousands of families find that peace and reconciliation. For many of them we are talking about families who have lost from one to to 30, 40 or 50 members of their family. It's shocking to think it happened. "To see those images (in the factory exhibition) I remember watching the footage on television, of the men and boys behind the wire in the factory thinking they were somewhere safe, never really understanding what had happened. Knowing about it and not understanding I would hope that people take note of this commemoration and perhaps do a bit more research because I think only by educating ourselves about the sadness that has happened to others that we become stronger in trying to ensure it doesn't happen again." She also spoke of her pride at being able to deliver the King's message adding: "Whenever I'm asked to deliver a message on behalf of the King it's a huge honour and I think his words always carry a lot of weight. He has a personal affiliation for this part of the world, he feels very deeply and passionately about what happened, but also about peace and reconciliation. So it was a real pleasure and honour to deliver those words. "And I know sometimes in the United Kingdom we get very focused on what we do in our own country but I'm lucky enough to be able travel abroad and I see what we do from off our shores and I think we rightly be able to proud of what we do because it does make a difference. And it can be small acts that can make the biggest differences."
North Wales Chronicle
11-07-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Thousands gather to mark 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide
Seven newly identified victims of the 1995 massacre, including two 19-year-old men, were laid to rest in a collective funeral at a vast cemetery near Srebrenica on Friday, next to more than 6,000 victims already buried there. Such funerals are held annually for the victims who are still being unearthed from dozens of mass graves around the town. Relatives of the victims often can bury only partial remains of their loved ones as they are typically found in several different mass graves, sometimes kmiles apart. Such was the case of Mirzeta Karic, who was waiting to bury her father. 'Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone,' she said, crying by her father's coffin which was wrapped in green cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition. 'I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 (killed) from my entire family,' she added. July 11 1995 is the day when the killings started after Bosnian Serb fighters overran the eastern Bosnian enclave in the final months of the inter-ethnic war in the Balkan country. After taking control of the town that was a protected UN safe zone during the war, Bosnian Serb fighters separated Bosniak Muslim men and boys from their families and brutally executed them in several days. The bodies were then dumped in mass graves around Srebrenica which they later dug up with bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the evidence of their war crimes. The UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide on the July 11 anniversary. Scores of international officials and dignitaries attended the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral. Among them were European Council President Antonio Costa and Britain's Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, who said that 'our duty must be to remember all those lost so tragically and to never let these things happen again'. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said he felt 'humbled' because UN troops from the Netherlands were based in Srebrenica when Bosnian Serbs stormed the town. 'I see to what extent commemorating Srebrenica genocide is important,' he said. In an emotional speech, Munira Subasic, who heads the Mothers of Srebrenica association, urged Europe and the world to 'help us fight against hatred, against injustice and against killings'. Ms Subasic, who lost her husband and youngest son in Srebrenica along with more than 20 relatives, told Europe to 'wake up.' 'As I stand here many mothers in Ukraine and Palestine are going through what we went through in 1995,' Ms Subasic said, referring to ongoing conflicts. 'It's the 21st century but instead of justice, fascism has woken up.' On the eve of the anniversary, an exhibition was inaugurated displaying personal items belonging to the victims that were found in the mass graves over the years. The conflict in Bosnia erupted in 1992, when Bosnian Serbs took up arms in a rebellion against the country's independence from the former Yugoslavia and with an aim to create their own state and eventually unite with neighbouring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions displaced before a US-brokered peace agreement was reached in 1995.
South Wales Guardian
11-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Thousands gather to mark 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide
Seven newly identified victims of the 1995 massacre, including two 19-year-old men, were laid to rest in a collective funeral at a vast cemetery near Srebrenica on Friday, next to more than 6,000 victims already buried there. Such funerals are held annually for the victims who are still being unearthed from dozens of mass graves around the town. Relatives of the victims often can bury only partial remains of their loved ones as they are typically found in several different mass graves, sometimes kmiles apart. Such was the case of Mirzeta Karic, who was waiting to bury her father. 'Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone,' she said, crying by her father's coffin which was wrapped in green cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition. 'I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 (killed) from my entire family,' she added. July 11 1995 is the day when the killings started after Bosnian Serb fighters overran the eastern Bosnian enclave in the final months of the inter-ethnic war in the Balkan country. After taking control of the town that was a protected UN safe zone during the war, Bosnian Serb fighters separated Bosniak Muslim men and boys from their families and brutally executed them in several days. The bodies were then dumped in mass graves around Srebrenica which they later dug up with bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the evidence of their war crimes. The UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide on the July 11 anniversary. Scores of international officials and dignitaries attended the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral. Among them were European Council President Antonio Costa and Britain's Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, who said that 'our duty must be to remember all those lost so tragically and to never let these things happen again'. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said he felt 'humbled' because UN troops from the Netherlands were based in Srebrenica when Bosnian Serbs stormed the town. 'I see to what extent commemorating Srebrenica genocide is important,' he said. In an emotional speech, Munira Subasic, who heads the Mothers of Srebrenica association, urged Europe and the world to 'help us fight against hatred, against injustice and against killings'. Ms Subasic, who lost her husband and youngest son in Srebrenica along with more than 20 relatives, told Europe to 'wake up.' 'As I stand here many mothers in Ukraine and Palestine are going through what we went through in 1995,' Ms Subasic said, referring to ongoing conflicts. 'It's the 21st century but instead of justice, fascism has woken up.' On the eve of the anniversary, an exhibition was inaugurated displaying personal items belonging to the victims that were found in the mass graves over the years. The conflict in Bosnia erupted in 1992, when Bosnian Serbs took up arms in a rebellion against the country's independence from the former Yugoslavia and with an aim to create their own state and eventually unite with neighbouring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions displaced before a US-brokered peace agreement was reached in 1995.
Rhyl Journal
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Thousands gather to mark 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide
Seven newly identified victims of the 1995 massacre, including two 19-year-old men, were laid to rest in a collective funeral at a vast cemetery near Srebrenica on Friday, next to more than 6,000 victims already buried there. Such funerals are held annually for the victims who are still being unearthed from dozens of mass graves around the town. Relatives of the victims often can bury only partial remains of their loved ones as they are typically found in several different mass graves, sometimes kmiles apart. Such was the case of Mirzeta Karic, who was waiting to bury her father. 'Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone,' she said, crying by her father's coffin which was wrapped in green cloth in accordance with Islamic tradition. 'I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 (killed) from my entire family,' she added. July 11 1995 is the day when the killings started after Bosnian Serb fighters overran the eastern Bosnian enclave in the final months of the inter-ethnic war in the Balkan country. After taking control of the town that was a protected UN safe zone during the war, Bosnian Serb fighters separated Bosniak Muslim men and boys from their families and brutally executed them in several days. The bodies were then dumped in mass graves around Srebrenica which they later dug up with bulldozers, scattering the remains among other burial sites to hide the evidence of their war crimes. The UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide on the July 11 anniversary. Scores of international officials and dignitaries attended the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral. Among them were European Council President Antonio Costa and Britain's Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, who said that 'our duty must be to remember all those lost so tragically and to never let these things happen again'. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said he felt 'humbled' because UN troops from the Netherlands were based in Srebrenica when Bosnian Serbs stormed the town. 'I see to what extent commemorating Srebrenica genocide is important,' he said. In an emotional speech, Munira Subasic, who heads the Mothers of Srebrenica association, urged Europe and the world to 'help us fight against hatred, against injustice and against killings'. Ms Subasic, who lost her husband and youngest son in Srebrenica along with more than 20 relatives, told Europe to 'wake up.' 'As I stand here many mothers in Ukraine and Palestine are going through what we went through in 1995,' Ms Subasic said, referring to ongoing conflicts. 'It's the 21st century but instead of justice, fascism has woken up.' On the eve of the anniversary, an exhibition was inaugurated displaying personal items belonging to the victims that were found in the mass graves over the years. The conflict in Bosnia erupted in 1992, when Bosnian Serbs took up arms in a rebellion against the country's independence from the former Yugoslavia and with an aim to create their own state and eventually unite with neighbouring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions displaced before a US-brokered peace agreement was reached in 1995.
