Abstract
The act of genocide committed by Bosnian Serb forces on 11 July 1995 in Srebrenica in Eastern Bosnia Herzegovina left behind dozens of mass-graves with the bodies of more than 8000 Bošnjak boys and men. Since the fragile peace brought to Bosnia by the Dayton Peace Agreement, the fate of Srebrenica has been one of the main issues standing in the way of any meaningful reconciliation process between the Bosnian ethnic groups. Over the past 20 years, the Serb side has barely acknowledged any past wrongdoing at Srebrenica, while the Bošnjaks increasingly view the site as their symbolic place of mourning and remembering, making it central to the Bošnjak nation-building process. The conflicting views of the different groups were brought into the open with the building of the Potočari Memorial Center outside Srebrenica. The local Serb political elites attempted to stop the construction of the site, so that the Office of the High Representative of the International Community to Bosnia Herzegovina (the OHR) had to override local political decisions. Since then, the Potočari Memorial Center and the burial site have been a focus of Bosnian political performance at least once a year: at the annual burial ceremonies held every 11th of July, on the day of the fall of Srebrenica.
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Notes
- 1.
‘Bošnjak’ is the official term for Bosnian Muslim ethnic group. The terms are used inter-changeably.
- 2.
The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has repeatedly ruled in cases where Serb officers were convicted of genocide. For more, see www.icty.org
- 3.
Fond za humanitarno društvo (2002), Haške presude: Dražen Erdemović i Goran Jelisić, Haški Tribunal: Dokumenta V, Beograd, p. 77.
- 4.
Srednje Podrinje is the Serb name of the part of the Drina river valley where Srebrenica is located.
- 5.
Fond za humanitarno društvo (2002), Haške presude: Dražen Erdemović i Goran Jelisić, p. 77.
- 6.
Fond za humanitarno društvo (2002), Haške presude: Dražen Erdemović i Goran Jelisić, p. 77.
- 7.
The well-known instance when French General Morillon, in order to calm the masses of civilians surrounding the UN trucks, said that Srebrenica was under UN protection, presumably without the approval from UN headquarters in New York.
- 8.
UN Security Council Resolution No 819, www.un.org
- 9.
Fond za humanitarno društvo (2002), Haške presude: Dražen Erdemović i Goran Jelisić, p. 79.
- 10.
ICTY: Srebrenica 1995. Zločini nad Bošnjacima u Srebrenici za vrijeme agresije na Republiku Bosnu i Hercegovinu 1991–1995, pp. 291–338.
- 11.
These powers were further strengthened by the Peace Implementation Council at its meeting in Bonn in 1997. For more on OHR powers in Bosnia, see Sahovic 2007.
- 12.
Smajlović, S. (1998), Manipulacija Srebreničanima, Oslobođenje, Vol.18.007, 17.07.1998.
- 13.
P.A. (1996), Ne kaju se zbog zvjerstava, Oslobođenje, Vol.17.273, 13.07.1996.
- 14.
Bečirević, A. (2002), Masovne grobnice nad 12.000 Bošnjaka svjedoće o genocidu, Oslobođenje, Vol.19.995, 04.09.2002.
- 15.
Statement of the Embassy of USA in BiH: Monstruozni zločini u Srebrenici su istina, Oslobođenje, Vol.19.957, 06.09.2002.
- 16.
Statement of the High Representative in BiH Paddy Ashdown: Izvještaj protivan zdravom razumu, Oslobođenje Vol.19.955, 04.09.2002.
- 17.
Bakšić, Hamza (2002), OK, da popričamo, Oslobođenje, Vol.19.957, 06.09.2002.
- 18.
Report of the Goverment of Republika Srpska (2004), Događaji u i oko Srebrenice od 10. do 19. Jula 1995, Banja Luka.
- 19.
The full speech of Dragan Čavić: Crna strana istorije srpskog naroda, Oslobođenje, Vol.20.163, 24.06.2004.
- 20.
Omeragić, A. (2004), Srebreničanke traže da Srebrenica i Republika Srpska konačno postanu dio BiH, Oslobođenje, Vol.20.627, 07.07.2004.
- 21.
OHR (2004), “RS Government Special Session A Distasteful Attempt to Question Genocide”, 20.04.2010, www.ohr.int.
- 22.
Jahić, V. and Hasić, A., Srebrenica opomena svijetu, Oslobođenje, Vol.17.274, 12.071996.
- 23.
Smajlović, S. (1998), Manipulacija Srebreničanima, Oslobođenje, Vol.18.007, 17.07.1998.
- 24.
Smajlović, S. (1998), Istina se ne može sakriti, Oslobođenje, Vol.18.009, 19.07.1998.
- 25.
V.K.(2000), Memorijalni centar u Potočarima, Bilten Srebrenica, Vol.9, No.3, Tuzla
- 26.
Data from the website of the Society for Threatened Peoples, http://www.gfbv-sa.com.ba/srebrenb.html
- 27.
V.K.(2000), Memorijalni centar u Potočarima, Bilten Srebrenica, Vol.9, No.3, Tuzla.
- 28.
V.K.(2000), Memorijalni centar u Potočarima, Bilten Srebrenica, Vol.9, No.3, Tuzla.
- 29.
OHR (2000), Decision on a location of the cemetery and a monument for the victims of the Srebrenica, 25.10.2000, www.ohr.int
- 30.
OHR (2000), Decision on a location of the cemetery and a monument for the victims of the Srebrenica, 25.10.2000, www.ohr.int
- 31.
N.H. (2000), Mezarje, Bilten Srebrenica, Vol.19, Vol.10, No III, Tuzla.
- 32.
OHR (2001), Decision establishing and registering the Foundation of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery, www.ohr.int
- 33.
OHR (2003), Decision ordering the transfer of ownership of the Battery Factory “AS” a.d. -Srebrenica to the Foundation of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery and establishing an ad hoc Battery Factory “AS” a.d.- Srebrenica compensation Commission, www.ohr.int
- 34.
Bečirović, Asaf (2006), Gazda Fondacije je OHR, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.251, 23.03.2006.
- 35.
OHR (2007), Decision Enacting the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide, www.ohr.int
- 36.
OHR (2007), Decision Enacting the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide, www.ohr.int
- 37.
Omeragić, A. (2007), Država zasšitnik mezarja u Potočarima, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.711, 26.06.2007.
- 38.
Omeragić, A. (2007), Država zasšitnik mezarja u Potočarima, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.711, 26.06.2007.
- 39.
Katana, G. (2007), Visoki predstavnik prekršio ustav BiH, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.711, 26.06.2007.
- 40.
Smajlović, S. (2001), Opomena da se zlo ne smije više nikada ponoviti, Oslobođenje, Vol.19.536, 12.07.2001.
- 41.
T.K. (2002), Počeo rad na lokaciji memorijalnog centra, Bilten Srebrenica, Vol.24, No 3, Tuzla.
- 42.
Bečirović, Asaf (2003), Ubice grade spomenik srebreničkim žrtvama, Oslobođenje, Vol.20.116, 12.02.2003.
- 43.
Arnautović, Marija (2010), Pronevjerene su milijarde donacija, Slobodna Evropa, www.slobodnaevropa.org/content/bih_donacije/1934881.html
- 44.
Rožajac, S. (2003), Prikupljeno 8 miliona maraka, Oslobođenje, Vol.20.290, 05.08.2003.
- 45.
Hawton, Nick (2003) Clinton unveils Bosnia memorial, BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3124642.stm
- 46.
Samarah, Tarik (2005), Srebrenica, Ministarstvo kulture, obrazovanja i sporta Federacije BiH, Sarajevo.
- 47.
Smajlović, Sakib (2007), Pomoći žrtvama da nose teret jula 1995, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.725, 10.07.2007.
- 48.
Detailed information about contents of the memorial room can be found at Memorial Centre website: http://www.Potočarimc.ba/_ba/ssoba/
- 49.
Smajlović, Sakib (2007), Pomoći žrtvama da nose teret jula 1995, Oslobođenje, Vol.21.725, 10.07.2007.
- 50.
Kasalo, S. (1996), Ponovo osramoćene srebreničanke, Oslobođenje, Vol.17.640, 13.07.1997.
- 51.
Jahić, V. and Hasić, A., Srebrenica opomena svijetu, Oslobođenje, Vol.17.274, 12.071996.
- 52.
Jahić, V.(1996), Ne damo da nas dijele, Oslobođenje, Vol.17.275, 13.07.1996.
- 53.
Berić, Gojko (1998), Srebrenica, Oslobođenje, Vol.18.000, 10.07.1998.
- 54.
Interview with Hasan Nuhanovic, http://zepskiforum.informe.com/forum/da-se-ne-zaboravi-f72/11-07-1995-t497.html
- 55.
Hodžić, Šefko (2000), Da tuga bude nada, da kazna bude pravda, Oslobođenje, Vol.19.178, 12.07.2000.
- 56.
Smajlović, S. (2000), U Potočarima nijue bilo ni povrijeđenih ni ubijenih, Oslobođenje, Vol.19165, 29.06.2000.
- 57.
Interview with Hasan Nuhanovic, http://zepskiforum.informe.com/forum/da-se-ne-zaboravi-f72/11-07-1995-t497.html
- 58.
The speech of Advija Ibrahimović in Srebrenica-Potočari, Spomen obilježje i mezarje (2003), p. 40.
- 59.
O.D. (1998), Ubijani zbog imena i vjere, Oslobođenje, Vol.17993, 03.07.1998.
- 60.
Minarevic Sopta, Martina (2011), Srebrenica – Srpska mitomanija, Bosnjacka patetika i Hrvatsko nista, Index.hr., 7.7.2011.
- 61.
Dzidic Denis and Panic Katarina (2015), Attack on Vucic at Srebrenica Widely Condemned, Balkaninsight, 13.07.2015.
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———. 2001. Opomena da se zlo ne smije više nikada ponoviti. Oslobođenje 19 (536), 12 July 2001.
———. 2007. Pomoći žrtvama da nose teret jula 1995. Oslobođenje 21 (725), 10 July 2007.
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Sahovic, D. (2019). Potočari Memorial Center and Commemorations of the Srebrenica Genocide. In: Sørensen, M., Viejo-Rose, D., Filippucci, P. (eds) Memorials in the Aftermath of Armed Conflict. Palgrave Studies in Cultural Heritage and Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18091-1_5
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