Bosnia Marks Srebrenica Genocide with March as Ethnic Tensions Persist

The annual 100-kilometer (60-mile) march follows the path taken by thousands of men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, who were killed while attempting to flee Srebrenica after it fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-95 war, according to EuroNews.

This march is part of a series of events leading up to the official commemoration of the massacre on July 11. Organizers reported that nearly 4,000 people joined the march this year. However, ethnic tensions persist in Bosnia, with Bosnian Serbs advocating for greater independence and openly calling for separation.

Participants of the march expressed their reasons for attending. Resid Dervisevic, a survivor of the Srebrenica massacre, stated, "I come here to remember my brother and my friends, war comrades, who perished here. I believe it is my obligation, our obligation to do this, to nurture and guard (our memories)." Osman Salkic, another survivor, reflected on the mixed emotions that arise when returning to the site, saying, "feelings are mixed when you come here, to this place, when you know how people were lying (dead) here in 1995 and what the situation is like today."

The Bosnian War erupted in 1992 following the breakup of Yugoslavia, with Bosnian Serbs initiating a rebellion and land grab in their quest to establish a separate state aligned with Serbia. The conflict claimed the lives of over 100,000 people before a peace agreement ended the war in 1995.

In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak males were separated from their families by Serb troops, pursued through the forests surrounding Srebrenica, and killed. Bosnian Serb soldiers concealed the victims' bodies in numerous mass graves in an attempt to cover up the atrocity.

Despite the fact that two UN courts have recognized the genocide, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has denied its occurrence. As remains of newly identified victims are continuously discovered in mass graves and reburied each year on July 11, the day the killings began, fears remain that Dodik's separatist policies could contribute to further instability, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The UN war crimes court in The Hague has sentenced former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and ex-military commander Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment for their roles in orchestrating the genocide.

To date, the remains of over 6,600 individuals have been found and laid to rest at a sprawling memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica, with an additional 30 victims set to be buried there on Tuesday.