HOW IT ALL STARTED? Serbs from heavily militarized villages around Srebrenica had terrorized Srebrenica population and constantly attacked neighbouring Bosnian Muslim villages from 1992-1995. In July 1995 the Bosnian Serb army staged a brutal takeover of Srebrenica and its surrounding area, where they proceeded to perpetrate genocide. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves. Here are some of the photos from the 14th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide:
[ click on photos for full size / higher resolution ]
US ambassador to Bosnia Charles English, left, and US congressman Russ Carnahan, right, (D-Mo) pay their respects near a marble stone with the sign Srebrenica July 1995 during funeral ceremony at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial center of Potocari near Srebrenica, 120 kms northeast of Sarajevo on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Tens of thousands of relatives and survivors gathered in Srebrenica to mark the 14th anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II and to bury 534 victims recently recovered from mass graves. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Zeljko Komsic, the Croat chairman of Bosnia's collective presidency, lays a wreath during the funeral for 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Kada Jusic, a Bosnian Muslim woman, mourns between the graves of her son and husband during the funeral of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Bosnian women sit at the former Dutch U.N. peacekeepers base, in front of offensive graffiti left by Dutch soldiers as they handed Srebrenica to genocidal forces of Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic (see photos of Dutch graffiti). Women wait for the funeral of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
Bosnian Muslims pray behind coffins of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide during their funeral in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Bosnian Muslims carry the coffins of some of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre during their funeral in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Relatives carry one of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide to his resting place during a mass funeral in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
A Bosnian Muslim woman leans on Memorial Wall at at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari near Srebrenica during the burial on 11 July, 2009 of 534 newly identified victims on the 14th anniversary of the wartime massacre in the Bosnian town. The 534 victims were among more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly who were killed by Serb forces after they captured the UN-protected enclave on July 11, 1995, and committed Europe's worst massacre since World War II. The remains of the victims were in most cases found in secondary mass graves where they had been moved from initial burial sites in a bid by Serbs to cover up war crimes. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
A Bosniak boy looks away while female family members pray near a freshly dug gravesite prepared for a relative during a burial ceremony at Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center, on July 11, 2009. The 534 bodies, excavated from mass-graves in Eastern Bosnia, were among more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men, boys, and elderly who were killed by Serb forces after they captured the UN-protected enclave on July 11, 1995, and committed Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
A Bosnian Muslim woman and her daughter attend the burial of a relative at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center in Potocari near Srebrenica on 11 July, 2009 of 534 newly identified victims on the 14th anniversary of the wartime massacre in the Bosnian town. The 534 victims were among more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly who were killed by Serb forces after they captured the UN-protected enclave on July 11, 1995, and committed Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. The remains of the victims were in most cases found in secondary mass graves where they had been moved from initial burial sites in a bid by Serbs to cover up war crimes. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
A Bosnian Muslim woman pays her respect by the gravesite of a relative during a burial ceremony at Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center, on July 11, 2009. The 534 bodies, excavated from mass-graves in Eastern Bosnia, were among more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly who were killed by Serb forces after they captured the UN-protected enclave on July 11, 1995, and committed Europe's worst atrocity since World War II. Bosnian Serb soldiers separated Bosniak families, forcibly expelled 25,000-30,000 people, summarily executed at least 8,372 boys, men, and elderly, and dumped them into mass graves.
Bosnians protect themselves from the rain as they attend a funeral for 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and the elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
Bosnian Muslim women weep beside coffins of Srebrenica genocide victims during a funeral ceremony at the Memorial center of Potocari near Srebrenica, 120 kms northeast of Sarajevo on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Tens of thousands of relatives and survivors gathered in Srebrenica to mark the 14th anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II and to bury 534 victims recently recovered from mass graves.
A Bosnian Muslim woman weeps among coffins of Srebrenica victims during a funeral ceremony at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial center in Potocari, July 11, 2009. Tens of thousands of relatives and survivors gathered in Srebrenica to mark the 14th anniversary of Europe's worst genocide since World War II and to bury 534 victims recently recovered from mass graves.
A Bosnian Muslim woman mourns by the grave of her relative during the funeral of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
A Bosnian Muslim woman mourns by a grave prepared for her relative before the funeral of 534 newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
Bosnians stand over the names of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre before a funeral for 534 newly identified Bosniak victims in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
Bosnians stand over the names of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide before a funeral for 534 newly identified Bosniaks in Potocari July 11, 2009. Each year, bones are matched to a name and buried in a mass funeral on July 11, the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniak men, boys, and elderly by the Bosnian Serb forces.
