Remembering the Srebrenica genocide: ‘Fear is all that kept me moving’
Remembering the Srebrenica genocide: ‘Fear is all that kept me moving’
Remembering the Srebrenica genocide - The United Nations observed a moment of reflection on Wednesday to honor over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who perished in Srebrenica during July 1995. Survivors and women, left to rebuild their lives in the wake of the tragedy, were remembered alongside the victims.
The 1995 Srebrenica massacre marked the deadliest incident in Europe since the Holocaust, becoming one of the most harrowing episodes of the Balkan conflicts that followed the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It remains a defining moment in the region’s history.
Under the UN Security Council Resolution 819 (1993), Srebrenica had been declared a protected zone. However, the Bosnian Serb military seized control of the town, leading to the systematic execution of its male population. Many victims sought shelter at the UN compound in Potočari but were ultimately separated from their families, killed, and buried in mass graves.
Hasan Hasanović, 19 at the time, fled Srebrenica with his father and twin brother Husein. They joined a group of men and boys attempting to escape through the forest, only to be torn apart by the violence. “Fear was all that kept me moving,” he said, reflecting on his harrowing journey as head of the oral history program at the Srebrenica Memorial Center. “Years later, after their remains were recovered from mass graves, I buried my father and my twin brother with my own hands. Nothing could prepare me for those moments.”
Genocide Recognition and Global Reflection
Two major UN courts—International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)—jointly confirmed the Srebrenica events as genocide. This year marks the second anniversary of the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, observed annually on July 11.
“The massacre will forever lay heavily on the collective conscience of the international community, the United Nations, and the modern history of our world,” stated Chaloka Beyani, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. He urged a moment of silence to honor the victims and the women and girls displaced and tortured after the attack.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose remarks were read by Chef de Cabinet Earle Courtenay Rattray, recalled that the Srebrenica tragedy prompted the world to declare, “Never again.” Yet, he warned that hate speech is surging, spurring discrimination, extremism, and division. “Convicted war criminals are now glorified,” he added.
“We cannot ignore these warning signs,” said Rattray. “Prevention is our shared responsibility, and our best defense against future atrocities.”
A Personal Legacy of Loss
Denis Bećirović, Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency, emphasized the importance of safeguarding international law. “We must not let court rulings become tools of political manipulation,” he asserted. He described genocide denial as an “anti-civilisational act,” a “disgrace to the dead” and a “new threat to the living.”
Annalena Baerbock, General Assembly President, highlighted how genocide often begins with hatred and division. “As seen in Srebrenica, Rwanda, and other places, it starts with prejudice,” she said. “It is not just about mass graves, but about erasing humanity.” In a video message, she called on the global community to turn the phrase “never again” into a binding promise.
Emina Sinanović, then just five years old, lost her father, grandfather, and uncle in the Srebrenica genocide. “For me, Srebrenica is not just history—it’s part of every day of my life,” she said. “It’s an invisible barrier between me and my father, built by hatred and inhumanity.”
“It steals the future. It steals the embraces you will never receive. It steals the words you will never hear. It steals the memories you will never have the chance to create,” she added. Her father, Muriz, 32, was murdered in a Kravica warehouse on July 13, 1995, where “thousands of lives and dreams were destroyed.” The only memento she holds is a small cigarette case found beside his remains.