Balkans | 20th anniversary of the first mass funeral for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide

The ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the burial of 600 of the first victims of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Srebrenica.

The 20th anniversary of the first mass funeral for the Srebrenica Genocide Victims killed in the 1992-1995 Bosnian War was marked with a ceremony at the Potocari Memorial Centre.

At the commemoration ceremony, representatives of the genocide victims’ associations, relatives of the victims and citizens read the text of Al-Fatihah to the dead, observed a minute of silence and laid flowers on the graves.

The head of the Srebrenica Potocari Memorial Center, Šifket Havizović, said that it has been 20 years since the first burials in Srebrenica were buried, and there are still no bodies found.

Noting that they continue to search for victims and organize funerals every year, Havizović said, “This is our effort to constantly remind Bosnians of the genocide.” He said.

Fadela Afendić, one of Kurban’s relatives, explained that they buried her husband in the grave 20 years ago and said, “20 years have passed, the pain is still there, but at least we know where his grave is. Unfortunately, there are many people who cannot be identified and cannot be found.” “. Use the phrase.

First mass funeral in Srebrenica Potocari

Three mass funerals were held at the Potocari Memorial Center in Srebrenica in 2003 for the victims of the genocide that took place in the Bosnian War in Srebrenica 1992-1995, the first burial taking place on 31 March 2003, when 600 victims of the genocide were buried.

As for the second burial, it was on July 11, 2003, when 282 victims were buried, and the third was on September 20, 2003, when 107 people were buried. In 2003, a total of 989 genocide victims were buried.

In and around Srebrenica, 6,671 victims of the genocide are buried in the Srebrenica Potocari Memorial Center Cemetery and 250 victims in local cemeteries at the request of their family members.