The Memorial Center in Potočari is currently making final preparations for the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. More than a hundred thousand people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world are expected to attend to pay their respects to the victims and to mark July 11, the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide, with dignity. In this regard, the Organizing Committee has provided all logistical and security conditions so that the commemoration of this date can proceed peacefully, with dignity and without incidents.
On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, everything is ready for the arrival of more than 100 thousand people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world to attend the funeral and attend the commemoration. Among them are survivors, family members of the murdered, representatives of domestic and international institutions, as well as numerous citizens, to pay their respects to the innocent victims of the genocide.
“Today we were in the field, where we mainly agreed on where what is, at what place, at what time, where who will do what, and prepared,” says Hamdija Fejzić, president of the Organizing Committee for the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Bosniaks of Srebrenica.
Although Srebrenica experiences water shortages in the summer months, when it comes to July 11, the organizers will provide it in sufficient quantities, as they have done so far.
“Let’s do our best to meet the conditions regarding the part where the commemoration and funeral are held, there will be enough bottled water and there will be water in the cisterns for all the needs required by the participants,” adds Fejzić.
Parking spaces for buses and cars are planned in the immediate vicinity of the Memorial Center in Potočari, and all preparations from infrastructure to the implementation of security measures have been completed.
“All police agencies from Bosnia and Herzegovina are actively working and cooperating when it comes to the security aspect of the event itself on July 11, as well as other program content from the Peace March, the departure and arrival of the entire convoy bringing the remains from Visoko,” says Nermin Alivuković, secretary of the Organizing Committee for the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Bosniaks of Srebrenica.
The Peace March route from Nezuk to Potočari, where thousands of participants pay tribute to the victims of the genocide every year, is also being finalized. To date, 4,600 participants have registered, but this number is not final.
“The number of registered participants tells us that this year the number of participants in the Peace March will increase and we are preparing for that. My wish would be for there to be 8,372, however, we will be ready to receive more participants,” emphasizes Suljo Čakanović, president of the Peace March Subcommittee.
Today, some of the personal belongings of the genocide victims were moved from the Commemorative Center in Tuzla to a newly built depot at the Srebrenica – Potočari Memorial Center. These are items used as evidence that will be permanently stored at the Srebrenica – Potočari Memorial Center for the first time.
“These will be items that were found with our dead when the exhumation was carried out. There will be a large number of families who will, perhaps, recognize that piece of something, an item of their loved ones. From that, perhaps, we can identify some of those standing in the Commemorative Center,” said Munira Subašić, president of the Association of the Mothers of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclave Movement.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the genocide is another opportunity to pay tribute, remind us of the truth, and send a message that genocide will never be forgotten and will never happen again to anyone!
