A Harrow Councillor has visited Bosnia to reflect on the 1995 Bosnian massacre by speaking to those affected.
Just over 20 years ago, 8,000 lives were lost when a genocidal massacre took place in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
In March, Harrow Councillor Sue Anderson, responsible for community and culture, visited Srebrenica and saw the first hand effects of the 1995 genocide which saw thousands of Bosnian Muslims murdered by the Army of Republika Srpska.
The visit organised by the charity ‘Remembering Srebrenica’ invited councillors and community representatives from around the country to Bosnia.
They spoke with people directly affected by the genocide, as well as learning about the on-going work to identify its victims.
Cllr Anderson also saw projects that seek to document and promote greater awareness of the massacre, including a video presentation from two survivors about the genocide experience, which she describes as “heartbreaking”.
Following her visit Cllr Sue Anderson said: “My visit to Bosnia was an overwhelming experience and I was particularly moved by the heartbreaking testimonies of the survivors.
“In the wake of recent terrorist related attacks, this visit reaffirmed my beliefs that one of the most horrible things anyone can do is to try and divide communities.
“No one should ever go through or witness such atrocities. It is now more important than ever that we all come together, form good relations and respect each other so that we can create a more cohesive society – not just for us but for future generations.”
To this day, the Mothers of Srebrenica continue to fight tirelessly for justice and closure. 21 years later the Bosnian Serb leader who was in charge at that time, Radovan Karadžić, has been handed out a 40 year sentence for genocide and other crimes.
Remembering Srebrenica commemorates the victims of the genocide. It’s marked internationally on July 11 every year– the anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica.
