Srebrenica Peace March 2017 – a mission from Zenica
It is the 25th anniversary of a horrible genocide the Bosnian Serb Army and Police Forces committed against the unarmed civilians gathered in the so-called safe zone supposedly protected by the Dutch Battalion of the UN Forces. Immediately following the upsurge of the Bosnian Serb forces, a couple of hundreds of civilians tried to find refuge in the Dutch Army Compound, but were prevented to do so and practically handed over to the Serb butchers.
As for the other Bosniaks both from Srebrenica and neighboring places who found refugee there, most of the men were killed, and some of them tried to flee to Tuzla via harsh trails cutting through the woods. On their way, they were constantly attacked and killed, with just a few of them who actually made it to the free territory of Nezuk. Walking through the woods mainly at night under the cover of darkness, each and every individual who went through these torments has his own story to tell. Walking 50 m apart, they often have different stories to tell about the March of Death itself. Yet, all these stories are turned now in a peace effort by both survivors and other peace loving people whose desire for this march is to be called Peace March in the hope of having all the people warned about how easily a community can be drawn into conflict, even without visible or realistic reason.
In commemoration of this event, people from around Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries took part in the Peace March to pay tribute to the brave people of Srebrenica who fell victim of vicious policy of extermination and genocide, but who still want to live in peace with their neighbors.
We take pride in saying that among the participants were our co-citizens who joined the March and passed the good wishes and our message of admiration for and solidarity with the people of Srebrenica.