Remembering Srebrenica
On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb units and paramilitary forces overran Srebrenica, despite its designation as a UN safe area. In a brutal and calculated operation, families were torn apart as women and children were systematically separated from the men. Over the course of several days, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed. This atrocity was later classified by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as the first legally recognised genocide in Europe since World War II.
We also remember the siege of Sarajevo, the vibrant “Jerusalem of the Balkans,” a city of rich plurality where diverse traditions lived together in harmony, and we honour the acts of solidarity and courage that defied the nationalist narratives before the Bosnian War.
The broader tragedy of the conflicts following the dissolution of Yugoslavia serves as a stark warning of what happens when identities are weaponised. Before the conflict, many lived side by side, especially children who were often unaware if they were Croats, Serbs, or Bosniaks. Yet, the war violently calcified these distinctions, turning neighbours against each other and making a pluralistic identity deadly.
Nationalism and inaction
This toxic nationalism was fuelled by dehumanising language that tragically even influenced the passive UN forces meant to protect the vulnerable. Nowhere is this more chillingly preserved than in the infamous, misogynistic graffiti regarding Bosniak women left by UN Dutch battalion peacekeepers on the walls of their base, exposed now at the Srebrenica memorial.
Women, in particular, bore a horrific burden, subjected to systematic violence, rape, and the agony of families being permanently fractured.
This dark chapter stands as a crucial reminder that fostering multi-identity societies is a fundamental necessity for peaceful coexistence.
A lesson for all of us
Europe needs to show empathy towards other conflicts: our own continent has been deeply torn apart by division, the discrimination of minorities, and bloody wars. Yet, the ongoing journey of European integration, justice, peace, and coexistence has shown us a way to overcome this dark past.
Many roads can lead to peace, still reconciliation, acknowledging mistakes, forgiving, but not forgetting is necessary to create new bonds of trust and understanding.
We believe this journey remains a valuable lesson that we must continue to share with the wider world.
For Volt Europa, a pan-European party that bridges different people across our continent, this remembrance serves as a direct reminder of our core pledge: never again.
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