Event Remembers 1995 Genocide
A service at Westminster Abbey has marked 20 years since the massacre at Srebrenica where thousands of Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb forces.
Events across the country will be commemorating the memory of those killed during the 1995 genocide. It was seen as the worst mass killing since World War Two.
In July 1995, in what was supposed to have been a UN safe haven, Bosnian Serb forces took control of Srebrenica. They rounded up and killed the men and boys and buried them in mass graves.
About 2000 guests at Westminster attended the event to light candles in memory of the deceased. It was then followed by a reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron.
Speaking at the event, European Union’s High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002, Lord Ashdown said, “Whether through error, misjudgment, an inability to comprehend, or just inattention, we stood aside when we should not have done.
“We should therefore remember Srebrenica, not just to bear witness to those who suffered, but also as a warning to us all of what happens when we turn our back.”
Mr Cameron said: “We must never, ever forget what happened”.
“The 20th anniversary is a moment to remember the many thousands who lost their lives, to remember their families and the missing, and the fact that for so many – including the Mothers of Srebrenica – the agony continues every day, undimmed by the passage of time.
“We must reaffirm our determination to act to prevent genocide in the future.”
