Several thousand people have recently gathered in Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina to commemorate the genocide in 1995. Among those taking part in the commemoration is the Norwegian-Bosnian Ibrahimovic family from Hønefoss. – It hurts to be here, but it is important that we mark this, says Nermin Ibrahimovic, who himself was born and raised in the town of Srebrenica. TAKING THE CITY: Screenshot of a video that will show Serbian forces leading Bosnian prisoners in Srebrenica in 1995. The video was important during the trial of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who was accused by the UN tribunal in The Hague of being co-responsible for the genocide against Bosniaks. Photo: AP – They killed my father Ibrahimovic says he remembers well when Serbian forces took his hometown in 1995. He was only 15 years old then. – We lived in a school that had been turned into a refugee camp. Without food, in a classroom with almost 50 other traumatized and despairing women and children, he says. Nesib Ibrahimovic, the son of Nermin Ibrahimovic, squats by the grave of his grandfather. – He is named after my father, says Nermin about his son. Photo: PRIVAT He says that the genocide against the Bosnians has left a big empty hole in the life of his family. – They killed my father, my uncles and a number of other family members. To lose everything in just a few years is impossible to describe, he says. He says that his father was kind and caring. – A really good person. Recognized as genocide A Bosnian woman remembers someone she lost in the genocide. The picture was taken at the memorial for the Srebrenica genocide in Potocari, 10 July 2024 Photo: Amel Emric / Reuters Last year, the UN General Assembly recognized the Srebrenica genocide as a genocide, even after major protests from the Serbian authorities. In the days after Serbian forces took over the city, over 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed under the leadership of General Ratko Mladic, known as the “Butcher of the Balkans”. He has been accused and convicted of giving the order that led to the massacre. “THE BUTCHER OF THE BALKANS”: A Bosnian woman from Srebrenica watches a live broadcast of Ratko Mladic’s appeals trial. He was sentenced in 2017 to life in prison for war crimes and genocide, a sentence he appealed. In 2021, he was sentenced again for life. Photo: Darko Bandic / AP Mladic was later sentenced to life in prison by a UN court, including for genocide. The EU has previously called the massacre “one of the darkest moments in modern European history”. Importance of dialogue Nermin Ibrahimovic says that it is important not to place the blame on ordinary Serbs. – We have Serbian friends, and we will not let politicians stop us from being human. He also says that he recognizes what he himself experienced in the 90s with how Palestinians in Gaza and Ukrainians feel today. – War, conflict, ethnic cleansing and genocide are not the way to end disagreements or to achieve political goals, he says. There is reason to believe that Israel has carried out acts that can be considered genocide, a UN report shows. Photo: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW / Reuters THE BUTSHA MASSACRE: In April 2022, a large number of bodies were found in the Ukrainian city of Butsja after Russian forces withdrew. Ukrainian media reports that it could be as many as 370 people. Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP – We must never forget Every year a hundred kilometer long peace march is organized along the same route used by people who fled Srebrenica. – An important way to honor and remember the victims. Nejira and Nesib Ibrahimovic after completing the hundred kilometer peace march. This year’s peace march was extra difficult because of the heat, the family informs. Photo: Privat He has this year walked the hundred kilometer long peace march, together with his two children Nejra and Nesib. Ibrahimovic says that it is important not to forget the genocide that took place in Srebrenica. – It is incredibly important to continue talking about Srebrenica. First and foremost to honor all those who were killed, but also to prevent potential genocide and the killing of innocent people. Published 21.07.2024, at 07.51
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– Still hurts just as much – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
