A wreath was laid today in the Memorial Park for Civilian Victims on Pobrežje in Podgorica on the occasion of July 11, the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide and the Day of Remembrance for the Civilian Victims of the Wars Waged in the Former Yugoslavia in the Period from 1991 to 2001.
There was also an insert from the monodrama "Nana Fata Orlović" performed by Hasija Borić.
The President of the Bosniak Council, Suljo Mustafić, said that Srebrenica is the saddest word in our language, and Potočari is the biggest grave in Bosniak history.
Mustafić said that this kind of genocide was unprecedented after the Holocaust in Europe. As he explained, today the remains of 14 civilians, victims of genocide, are being buried in Potočari.
"Memorialization is the only thing we can do today for the souls of the martyrs of Srebrenica, participating in the pain of their families whose wounds have not healed. The highest international address, the General Assembly (GA) of the United Nations (UN) by adopting a resolution partially alleviated the pain of the families of Srebrenica. Our country joined that resolution and that should be welcomed," Mustafić said.
The mayor of Podgorica, Olivera Injac, said that Srebrenica is a symbol of pain and suffering and reminds us of all the horrors of war.
"At the same time, it points to our greatest duty, to preserve peace and unity. By commemorating the victims of Srebrenica, we show our clear intention that the future will be built on mutual trust, respect and solidarity", said Injac.
"As a society, we must work on reconciliation, appreciating differences as our greatest wealth," said Injac.
Elizabeta Mrnjavčević from the Action for Human Rights said that the tireless fight for truth and justice must be supported so that the missing and murdered are found and given a dignified burial, and those responsible for the genocide are punished.
"On behalf of 76 non-governmental organizations, we request the state of Montenegro to officially declare July 11 as the day of remembrance for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. To ensure that our future generations learn about the genocide in Srebrenica and the role of Montenegro in the wars of the nineties. To prosecute all the unpunished perpetrators and facilitators of the genocide in Srebrenica. To suppress the denial of genocide and the glorification of war criminals convicted of genocide", requested Mrnjačević.
"We as a society must work to ensure that something like that never happens again to anyone," said Mrnjačević.
Today, the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica will be marked with a commemoration at the Memorial Center in Potočari.
The remains of 14 more identified Srebrenica victims will be buried in Potočari today.
The Ministers of European Affairs, Education, Science and Innovation and Labor and Social Care, Maida Gorčević, Anđela Jakšić Stojanović and Naida Nišić, will be in the delegation of the Government of Montenegro at the commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica.
As the government said, the Montenegrin delegation will also include the state secretary of the Ministry of European Affairs, Bojan Božović, and the chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Montenegro in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Satka Hajdarpašić.
According to the indictments of the Hague Tribunal, soldiers under the command of General Ratko Mladić organized and systematically killed around eight thousand Muslim men and boys. About 30 thousand women and children were deported in two days.
In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a verdict qualifying the massacre in Srebrenica as an act of genocide. Resolutions on Srebrenica confirming that verdict were passed by the parliaments of the countries of the European Union, Canada, the United States of America and Australia.
On May 23, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide.
In July 2009, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Declaration on the acceptance of the resolution of the European Parliament on Srebrenica, which condemns the crime in that Bosnian-Herzegovinian city, as well as other crimes committed during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
On June 17, 2022, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica.
Bonus video:
