Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner is visiting Srebrenica, some 15 years after he accompanied the first two refugees who returned to their home following the 1995 genocide.
Tony Lloyd is part of a delegation which has travelled to Bosnia to meet with survivors of the genocide, see how Srebrenica and the surrounding region has changed since the tragedy, and learn how Bosnians are working together to build stronger, safer and more cohesive communities.
The trip has been organised by the Remembering Srebrenica charitable initiative which aims to teach lessons of Bosnia’s grim past to better inform the present, as well as countering discrimination and building stronger community relations.
On 11 July 1995 General Ratko Mladić and his Bosnian Serb forces marched into the town of Srebrenica and systematically murdered 8372 Bosnian Muslim men and boys.
In 1993, Srebrenica had been declared a UN Safe Area, under the watch of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). In July 1995, Serbian paramilitary units overran and captured the town, despite its designation as an area ‘free from any armed attack or any other hostile act.
Tony said: “I’m really honoured to be part of this delegation visiting Srebrenica. The genocide of 1995 is one of the darkest periods in modern European history. It is still shocking to think ethnic cleansing on such a scale happened in mainland Europe just 20 years ago.
“We must remember those who lost their lives – and we must ensure that such wickedness can never happen again. Initiatives such as this trip help keep that memory alive and that ambition intact.
“I was privileged to join the first Bosnian Muslim refugees who returned to Bosnia some years after being expelled from their homes. These were an elderly couple who had lived all their lives in Srebrenica before the war and were determined to go back to live out their days there. At that time there was a huge British Army presence to protect them.
“I’ve been looking forward to returning to Bosnia in peace to see how things have changed and see the work that has been done by survivors to build cohesion in what was once Europe’s most troubled region.
“I would like to thank the Remembering Srebrenica charity for organising this trip, and for inviting me along.”
Remembering Srebrenica Chairman Dr Waqar Azmi OBE said: “Srebrenica demonstrates what happens when an integrated society disintegrates. As Police and Crime Commissioner, we are looking Tony as a force for tackling racism, hatred and intolerance. His visit to Srebrenica will, undoubtedly, inspire him to apply the lessons of history to help continue his work in strengthening and protecting the diverse communities of Greater Manchester.”
Tony and the delegation arrived in Bosnia on Sunday 19 April and will return on Wednesday 22 April.
