The Srebrenica genocide resulted in the systematic murder of 8,372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces. Survivor Emir Suljagić described Srebrenica as the culmination of three years of conflict in Bosnia.

Location and Establishment

• Srebrenica is located in Republika Srpska, a semi-autonomous region of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• The Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery was established in October 2000 by UN High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch.
• The site, chosen by survivors and bereaved relatives, is in the village of Potočari.

Opening and Significance

• Officially opened by former US President Bill Clinton on September 20, 2003.
• Clinton emphasized the importance of remembering the genocide and honoring the victims.

Annual Commemorations

• Families gather every year on July 11 to bury newly identified remains.
• As of July 2024, 6,570 victims’ remains had been interred.

Memorial Features

• A wall of names and a marker stone bearing the figure 8,372.
• A memorial room opened in July 2007, supported by Paddy Ashdown and the Imperial War Museum.

Visitor Experience

• Located at the ‘Battery Factory,’ the visitor center offers guided tours, imagery, interpretation boards, and a powerful film about the genocide.
• The memorial center encourages Bosnian Muslim refugees to return to Srebrenica, symbolically reversing ethnic cleansing.

For more information, visit the Memorial Center website.