Remembering Srebrenica: A Day of Mourning and Reflection

Srebrenica, a small town in Bosnia, was the site of a terrible event 30 years ago. On July 11, 1995, more than 8, 000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed. This is known as the only genocide in Europe since the Holocaust. Every year, people gather to remember this tragic event. This year, seven more victims were identified. They will be buried in a big cemetery near Srebrenica. This cemetery is always growing because new victims are still being found in mass graves around the town. For many families, burying their loved ones is a bittersweet moment. Sometimes, they can only find parts of their remains. Mirzeta Karic, for example, is burying a bone of her father. She said, "Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone. " It's hard for her because her whole family was affected by this tragedy. The killings started when Bosnian Serb fighters took control of Srebrenica. This town was supposed to be a safe zone during the war. But instead, the fighters separated the men and boys from their families and killed them. They then tried to hide their crimes by moving the bodies to different places. Last year, the U. N. General Assembly decided to remember the Srebrenica genocide every year on July 11. Many important people from around the world are expected to attend the ceremonies this year. Before the anniversary, an exhibition was opened. It shows personal items that belonged to the victims. These items were found in the mass graves over the years. The war in Bosnia started in 1992. It was a fight between different ethnic groups. More than 100, 000 people were killed and millions were forced to leave their homes. The war ended in 1995 with a peace agreement. Even though two U. N. courts have said that the Srebrenica massacre was a genocide, some people still refuse to acknowledge it. The leaders of the Bosnian Serbs and Serbia have been convicted for their roles in the genocide. Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, sent his condolences. He called the massacre a "terrible crime" and said, "We cannot change the past but we must change the future. "