Balkans | The “peace march” ends on the road to death in Srebrenica

The “Peace March”, which was organized on a forest road used by civilians who wanted to escape the genocide that began with the capture of Srebrenica by Serb soldiers on July 11, 1995, ended up reaching the city of Tuzla. .

The “Peace March”, organized on a forest road used by civilians who wanted to get rid of the genocide that began with the capture of Srebrenica by Serb soldiers on July 11, 1995, ended at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery, where the victims of the genocide were buried.

Because of the genocide that occurred in July 1995, nearly 6,000 people from different countries participated in the three-day march on the road known as the “Road of Death” among the people.

The participants of the event, which was held for the 19th time this year, prayed for the victims of the genocide at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery, which they reached after a 3-day march from the town of Nzok in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 8 July.

During the event, the participants of different nationalities walked about 35 kilometers every day and rested at certain points set up on the forest path.

The Bosnians, who were in the resting places and managed to survive the genocide, also told the participants about their experiences and offered treats.

Motorcyclists and marathoners who set out for Srebrenica also arrived in Potocari

On the other hand, hundreds of motorcyclists arriving from different countries and departing from the capital, Sarajevo, arrived this morning to attend the commemoration ceremony for the victims of the genocide at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery.

Participants in the Vukovar-Srebrenica Marathon, which was launched from the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar on July 6 and was held for the 12th time this year, also arrived in Potocari and paid a minute’s silence for the victims.

Burial of 30 genocide victims

Immediately after the occupation of Srebrenica by Serb forces led by Ratko Mladić on 11 July 1995, Bosnian civilians took refuge in the ranks of Dutch soldiers inside the UN, and were handed over to the Serbs by Dutch soldiers.

Allowing women and children to pass into the area under the control of Bosnian soldiers, the Serbs killed at least 8,372 Bosnian men in forest areas, factories, and warehouses. The Bosnian dead were buried in mass graves.

After the war, the victims whose bodies were found were buried in mass graves in an effort to find the missing in a ceremony held at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery on 11 July each year after their identification.

As part of the 28th anniversary of the genocide, 30 more genocide victims will be buried.

While there are 6,721 graves of genocide victims at Potocari Memorial Cemetery, that number will rise to 6,751 on July 11.

AA