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Home Primary Lessons from Srebrenica Angus Robertson

Angus Robertson

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Angus Robertson, leader of the Scottish National Party Westminster Group, reflects on his visit to Srebrenica.

The attention of the world moves quickly as we are drawn from crisis to crisis. Recently the focus has been on Syria, and now the spotlight is on Ukraine. In a 24-hour media cycle age this is perfectly understandable, but there are some places and events that should not be forgotten or relegated from our consciousness.

Less than two decades ago the only genocide committed in Europe since the Second World War was under way in Bosnia-Herzegovina. To learn about the atrocities, I recently led a Scottish delegation to the region at the invitation of the UK charity Remembering Srebrenica. We heard from experts and survivors what happened in July 1995.

At that time thousands of mostly Muslim civilians were in the United Nations’ “safe haven” of Srebrenica and under attack by rebel Serbs. Forces under the command of General Ratko Mladić overran the town and separated the men and boys from the women. They were bused to different sites in their thousands and shot. Since the end of the war, unparalleled efforts have been made to identify the victims and support the search for justice. The International Commission on Missing Persons uses cutting-edge identification procedures to match remains through the DNA of relatives, so every year on the anniversary of the 11 July genocide families can bury loved ones.

Thousands of marble headstones are lined up behind a relief with the names of more than 8,000 victims.

Our delegation reflected a range of long-term connections between Scotland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Rev Lorna Hood and her communications colleague Seonag MacKinnon represented the strong interest from the faith community. During the war Sergeant David Hamilton of the Scottish Police Federation drove aid convoys to Bosnia and award-winning journalist David Pratt reported from besieged Sarajevo. Glasgow Labour MP Ann McKechin and I both have long-standing interests in the region. I worked in the former Yugoslavia as a broadcaster during the conflict.

We were struck by the number of Scots who still have close associations with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Charity support spearheaded by Edinburgh Direct Aid and Denis Rutovitz still makes a huge difference. Scots play significant diplomatic roles on the ground and with international organisations, including the European Union and the International Commission on Missing Persons.

We must all play our part to remember the genocide committed against one of our oldest indigenous Muslim communities and ensure history doesn’t repeat itself. We must also give Bosnia a European perspective and the hope of economic, social and political progress.

Nov 17, 2014francesca cleverly
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November 17, 2014 Bearing Witness, Lessons from SrebrenicaScotland
Stephen Williams MPAnn McKechin
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Rem Srebrenica ScotFollow

Rem Srebrenica Scot
Rem Srebrenica Scot Retweeted
robin_macpRobin Macpherson FRSA@robin_macp·
11 Apr

Watching the #BAFTA tonight? Look out for the superb ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ directed by Jasmila Zbanic, available on @PrimeVideo. It tells the story of the #Srebrenica genocide through the perspective of a UN interpreter @RemSrebScot @SrebrenicaUK #BAFTAs https://t.co/EVOshJ1ixK

1017Twitter
RemSrebScotRem Srebrenica Scot@RemSrebScot·
10 Apr

"It was natural to be with those who were attacked, who did not have weapons," Divjak told AFP in 2017, rejecting the "good Serb" label.
"The idea of a multi-ethnic Bosnian army had won me over," he added.

David Hamilton@DvdHmltn

Another sad loss this week. What an impressive man Dragi Jovo was.
An ethnic serb General in the Bosnian Army who defended Sarajevo and then went on to build an Education charity giving scholarships to orphans and deprived children.
An English obituary at https://t.co/7aX2e6qOTj https://t.co/vaJKDT6Zkh

23Twitter
RemSrebScotRem Srebrenica Scot@RemSrebScot·
7 Mar

And so it continues...

Remembering Srebrenica@SrebrenicaUK

In Bratunac this morning, a town near Srebrenica where numerous Bosniak-Muslims were ethnically cleansed and murdered, a sign wishing a happy birthday to Ratko Mladic, the convicted genocidal war criminal, was hung up. Genocide glorification continues.

📷 via @suljagicemir1

14Twitter
RemSrebScotRem Srebrenica Scot@RemSrebScot·
27 Feb

We would like to congratulate our friend, @AnasSarwar on his election to the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party.

219Twitter
RemSrebScotRem Srebrenica Scot@RemSrebScot·
19 Feb

“Look after each other”

PlanetB 🌎@PlanetBGlasgow

A thread.
About Bonne Maman jam.

The incident took place in a supermarket in New Jersey.

“At the supermarket today, I found a small, elderly woman standing in front of a high shelf holding Bonne Maman preserves. She was having trouble finding the flavour she wanted...

1Twitter
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 The charity 
Remembering Srebrenica [Scotland] is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) No SCO46540. Click here to find out more.
 Latest news 
Remembering Srebrenica’s 2021 Theme: Rebuilding Lives
February 4, 2021

Every year, Remembering Srebrenica selects a theme that reflects an aspect of the genocide that must be commemorated, but also speaks to communities here in the UK.  The theme for 2021 is ‘Rebuilding Lives’.  In albeit very different ways the Covid pandemic has brought loss and difficulties to millions, shattering individuals and communities, who are […]

Hatidža Mehmedović – A mother’s legacy
November 26, 2020

Hatidža Mehmedović was born in the area surrounding Srebrenica in 1952. Before the genocide, she lived her entire life in Srebrenica, where she had married her childhood friend, Abdullah, and had two sons, Azmir and Almir. Hatidža and Abdullah built their home in Srebrenica and lived a simple life as a family before the war […]

“Untold Killing”: first serialised podcast about the genocide in Bosnia launched
October 22, 2020

London, United Kingdom — This past July marked 25 years since the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, often referred to as the worst atrocity on Europe’s soil since the Holocaust. The story of Srebrenica, a small town in Bosnia, remains a dark stain on Europe’s history and yet the full details remain unknown to many.  […]

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