Thousands gather in Srebrenica to mark 31st anniversary of genocide as ten more victims laid to rest

Thousands of mourners, survivors, foreign dignitaries, and religious leaders have gathered at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Centre to mark the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide as the remains of 10 newly identified victims were laid to rest.

The collective funeral, held every July 11, remains one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most solemn commemorations, as families continue burying loved ones whose remains are recovered from mass graves and identified decades after they were killed.

With this year’s burials, the number of genocide victims interred at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery rose to 6,782.

Around 250 victims were buried in local cemeteries at the request of their families, while more than 1,000 people remain missing.

The youngest victim buried this year was 20-year-old Senad Jusic, while the oldest was 56-year-old Ramo Dautovic.

The other victims were Muriz Barakovic, Hamed Music, Ramo Alic, Muhidin Osmanovic, Huso Cerimovic, Nuko Nukic, Ahmet Guster and Asim Kunic.

Their remains were recovered between 1997 and 2022 from locations including Kamenicko Brdo, Budak, Rahunici, Glogova, Kamenica-Cancari, Jelovacka Cesma and Turalici. Several were recovered from secondary mass graves after their bodies had been moved in an organised attempt to conceal evidence of the killings.

Nuko Nukic, who was 38 when he was killed, was buried alongside four of his first cousins, all victims of the genocide.

The Podrinje Identification Project in Tuzla still holds the remains of identified victims whose families have not yet consented to burial, as well as the remains of 36 victims identified through DNA analysis but still awaiting formal family identification.

Many families continue postponing burials because only partial remains have been recovered, hoping additional bones will be found in newly discovered mass graves.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Missing Persons Institute continues searching for the remains of around 900 genocide victims.

Calls to preserve truth

Addressing the commemoration, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Becirovic described Srebrenica as a global warning against hatred, dehumanisation and the failure to confront crimes before they escalate.

“If we fail to preserve the truth about our past, we will have neither a present nor a future,” he said.

Becirovic said the mass executions were not spontaneous acts of violence but were deliberately planned and carried out before the eyes of the international community.

He stressed that international court rulings had conclusively established that genocide was committed against Bosniaks in Srebrenica and said preserving that truth remained a responsibility toward both the victims and future generations.

Türkiye reaffirms support for Bosnia and Herzegovina

In a message read at the ceremony by Turkish Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the Srebrenica genocide as one of the darkest and most shameful chapters of modern history.

Erdogan condemned genocide denial, the glorification of convicted war criminals and attacks against returnees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling for a stronger response from the international community.

He reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order.