At dawn on Wednesday, more than 6,500 people assembled in Bosnia and Herzegovina to begin a three-day peace march honoring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Participants came from across the country and abroad to remember the more than 8,000 men and teenagers killed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995, as well as the approximately 25,000 women, children, and elderly who were forcibly displaced.
A Journey of Remembrance
The march, now in its 22nd edition, covers 100 kilometers and will conclude in Potocari near Srebrenica on 10 July, the eve of the official commemorations. Along the route, walkers pass significant sites where mass executions occurred and where mass graves were later discovered. The event serves as both a tribute to the dead and a solidarity walk with those who survived the ordeal.
Ibis Husejnovic, a participant, explained his motivation: "To feel the pain, to feel the silence." Raifa Duzic added that she joined "to feel a small part of what those who have been running for their lives have felt. And I want us to say that this should never be forgotten."
The genocide in Srebrenica remains one of the darkest chapters in modern European history. In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb army overran the UN-declared safe area and systematically murdered thousands of Bosniak Muslim men and teenagers. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice have both ruled the massacre a genocide.
This year's march takes place against a broader backdrop of unresolved tensions in the Balkans and ongoing efforts to reckon with the past. The European Union has repeatedly stressed the importance of confronting historical atrocities as part of the region's path toward integration. For many participants, the march is a reminder that memory and justice remain essential for lasting peace.
The event also resonates beyond Bosnia, as similar commemorations and debates about historical memory occur across Europe. In a continent still grappling with the legacies of war and genocide, the Srebrenica march stands as a powerful act of collective remembrance.
