BRUSSELS – High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi issued a joint statement on the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, calling this tragic event “one of the darkest moments in modern European history”.
“It is our duty to honour the memory of the over 8,300 boys and men who were systematically murdered in the hills around Srebrenica. We call upon the leaders to reject divisive rhetoric and act with truth, justice, trust, and dialogue. Healing the wounds of the past requires acknowledging and teaching the historical facts, honouring and remembering the victims, identifying those still missing, and bringing all perpetrators to justice. This is key to confronting the roots of hatred that led to the genocide”, Borrell and Várhelyi stressed.
The joint statement also said that there was a need of building the bridges and reconciliation and that the genocide should not be denied.
“We need to build together bridges to reconciliation. There is no place amongst us for those who deny genocide, attempt to rewrite history, and glorify war criminals”, they underlined.
In addition, Borrell and Várhelyi expressed their strong support to the EU integration process of BiH.
“In March 2024 the European Council decided to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a key opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance on reforms to enhance democracy, prosperity and security for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and bring the country closer to EU membership. We reiterate our unequivocal commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future in the EU as a single, united and sovereign country”, the EU officials underlined.
The annual commemoration ceremonies started on Monday, 8 July, with a 100-kilometre march towards Srebrenica. Participants of the “Peace March” arrived to Potočari on July 10, and today they are attending the collective funeral at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center cemetery, where the remains of 14 more genocide victims will be buried.
The Resolution on Genocide in Srebrenica was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 23 May 2024. Thereby, 11 July was established as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, when more than 8,000 local Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed by the armed forces of the Bosnian Serbs.