Bosnians mark Srebrenica massacre

Remembering the dead of Srebrenica

There have been emotional scenes as thousands of Bosnian Muslims returned to the town of Srebrenica to commemorate their loved ones killed in one of the worst massacres in modern history.

In the blazing sun, women stood in tears as prayers were spoken for their husbands, their fathers and their sons.

We pray for sorrow to become hope, for revenge to become justice, and for a mother's tears to become a reminder so that Srebrenica will never happen again to anyone, anywhere

Mustafa Efendi Ceric
Head of Bosnia's Islamic community

The survivors had gathered to dedicate the foundation stone for a memorial to the estimated 8,000 victims, killed when Serb forces overran the United Nations safe area in July 1995.

For many it was their first return to the town since it fell to the Bosnian Serb army six years ago.

About 1,300 local police and hundreds of Nato-led peacekeepers lined the road as a convoy of buses brought the Muslims back to Srebrenica.

Security had been stepped up to prevent a repeat of violent incidents in Banja Luka in May, when Serb protesters attacked Muslims attending a ceremony to begin the rebuilding of a mosque.

Memorial

The focus of the day was the unveiling of a cornerstone for a memorial centre that will be built alongside a graveyard for the victims' remains.

Police guard relatives as they return to the scene

The three-ton marble stone bears simply the inscription "Srebrenica, July 1995."

"If we know nothing about our dearest, at least we can see their tombstones and imagine they are lying there," said Nura Mustafic, 53, who lost her husband and three sons.

The mourners walked across a field opposite the factory where six years ago lightly-armed Dutch peacekeepers watched helplessly as Muslim men and boys were separated from their families and led away.

"I just remember the gate shutting as they took them away," said Mihreta Husic, who saw her father for the last time near the factory.

Grief and anger

Mustafa Efendi Ceric, the head of Bosnia's Islamic community, said: "We pray for sorrow to become hope, for revenge to become justice, and for a mother's tears to become a reminder so that Srebrenica will never happen again to anyone, anywhere."

Ratko Mladic is held directly responsible for the massacre

As well as grief, there was anger among the survivors.

Hana Adamovic, 48, now a refugee in northern Bosnia, said the ceremony was "the hardest day in my entire life."

"They are giving us a stone here instead of helping us back to our homes and helping us find our dearest," she said.

Zineta Mujic, 50, who lost 14 family members, said: "Slobodan Milosevic is the biggest butcher in the world and is responsible for what happened to us."

"His string puppets, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are also responsible and must pay for what they did here," she said.

Srebrenica massacre

1993 Srebrenica declared UN safe area

11 July 1995 Serbs overrun Srebrenica

23,000 women and children deported in 30 hours

Men aged 12-77 are separated for 'interrogation for suspected war crimes'

16 July 1995 first reports of massacres

The former political and military leaders of the Bosnian Serbs, who are considered directly responsible for the Srebrenica massacre, are still at large.

Hostility

In the end, the ceremony in Srebrenica passed off peacefully.

But some of the Serbs now resident in the town watched with impassive hostility as the buses brought back the Muslims who once used to live there.

The mood in the region has been volatile since the anti-Muslim riots in Banja Luka, and the extradition of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, on war crimes charges.

The ceremony also coincided with renewed pressure on the Bosnian Serb authorities to arrest Mr Karadzic and General Mladic.