A solemn peace march has been held through forests in eastern Bosnia in memory of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe’s only acknowledged genocide since World War II.
The annual 100km (62-mile) march held on Saturday retraces a route taken by thousands of men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, made up primarily of Muslims, who were slaughtered as they tried to flee Srebrenica after it was captured by Bosnian Serb forces late in the 1992-95 war.
The march is part of several events preceding the actual date and commemorating the massacre on July 11.
Nearly 4,000 people joined this year’s march, according to the organisers. The event comes as ethnic tensions in Bosnia continue to persist, with Bosnian Serbs openly calling for separation.
“I come here to remember my brother and my friends, war comrades, who perished here,” said Resid Dervisevic, who was among those who marched.
“I believe it is my obligation, our obligation to do this, to nurture and guard [our memories].”
Source from www.aljazeera.com
