Marš mira
The 2012 March. | |
| Date | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | March of Peace or Peace March |
| Cause | In memory of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide |
| Website | MaršMira.net |
The March of Peace (Bosnian: Marš mira) is an annual peace walk in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized in memory of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. The march gathers thousands of Bosnians and foreigners each year. The first march was held in 2005, to mark the tenth anniversary of the genocide. The campaign lasts three days, culminating in the participants' arrival to the village Potočari, where the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial-Cemetery is located. The participants arrive a day prior for the mass funeral that occurs for those victims whose bodies have been found the previous year. The search for bodies of the victims is ongoing every year.
Background
The Srebrenica genocide,[1] resulted in the genocidal killing of more than 8,000[2] Bosniak Muslim men and boys in and around the town of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War.[3] It was mainly perpetrated by units of the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska under Ratko Mladić, with the partial participation of the Serb paramilitary unit Scorpions.[4][5] The massacre was the first legally recognised genocide in Europe since the end of World War II.[6]
On July 11, 1995 Bosnian Serbs overran a United Nations protected area in Srebrenica and separated more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys from the women and girls. They were then killed by the troops and any that tried to escape were chased throughout the woods and mountains surrounding the town. The deceased were tossed into mass graves at first, then were dug up via bulldozer and scattered around the surrounding area in an attempt to hide the remains.[7]
The march, which has been organized since 2005, marks the killing of Bosniaks who survived after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995 and tried to reach the territory controlled by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Peace March became an international event, and a large number of people from around the world joined the March.
Event
The march is an annual event that aims to retrace the 100 kilometer (60 mile) march, through the forests of eastern Bosnia that were taken by Bosniak men and boys during the war and resulting genocide.[8] In addition to the pedestrian campaigns, support also comes from participants who engaged in Cycling Marathons.[9] The march usually begins in the village Nezuk by Sapna on or around 8 July.
In 2012, there were nearly 8,000 participants. To commemorate the 20th anniversary in 2015 thousands participated in the march, with some survivors participating.[10] the During the 2024 march, there were an estimated 6,000 people who attended the march, and that year the United Nations approved a resolution to establish an international day of reflection and commemoration of the victims.[7] In early July 2025 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide it was announced that at least 6,650 people would participate in the march.[11]
International response
- United States On 8 July 2013, the US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Patrick Moon held a brief speech to participants during the march, saying that he was honored to attend such an event and that he wanted to pay tribute to the victims of genocide in Srebrenica.[12][13][14]
References
- ^ * Lederer, Edith M. (23 May 2024). "UN approves resolution to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide annually over Serb opposition". The Associated Press.
- "European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica". European Parliament. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- "Office of the High Representative – "Decision Enacting the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide"". Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- "Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia letter to the Serbian President to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide". Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- "Mladic shadow hangs over Srebrenica trial". The Guardian. London. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- Mike Corder (20 August 2006). "Srebrenica Genocide Trial to Restart". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- ^ * "ICTY: The Conflicts". The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- Kirsten Nakjavani Bookmiller (2008). The United Nations. Infobase Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9781438102993. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- Christopher Paul; Colin P. Clarke; Beth Grill (2010). Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency. Rand Corporation. p. 25. ISBN 9780833050786. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- Simons, Marlise (31 May 2011). "Mladic Arrives in The Hague". The New York Times.
- ^ "Bosnia's Srebrenica massacre 25 years on – in pictures". BBC News. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Williams, Daniel. "Srebrenica Video Vindicates Long Pursuit by Serb Activist". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ "ICTY – Kordic and Cerkez Judgement – 3. After the Conflict" (PDF). Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "IMPR Report News". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
The July 1995 events have become the first legally established case of genocide in Europe since the Second World War.
- ^ a b Aktan, Sertac (2024-07-11). "Thousands of Bosnians commemorate Srebrenica victims with peace march". euronews. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ "Thousands march in Bosnia for the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre". AP News. 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ "Marš mira predvodi Naser Orić". b92. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Bosnia mourns victims of Srebrenica massacre – DW – 07/11/2015". dw.com. July 11, 2015. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ Beta (2025-07-08). "The Peace March towards Potočari begins on the occasion of the anniversary of the crime in Srebrenica". KoSSev. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
- ^ "Hiljade ljudi na Maršu mira". Al Jazeera Balkans. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Ambasador Moon održao govor učesnicima "Marša mira"". Radio Slobodna Evropa. Slobodna Evropa. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "I američki ambasador se pridružio učesnicima Marša mira". Radio Sarajevo. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.