Thursday marks the 24th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide where over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serbs soldiers during the country’s brutal Civil War.
Various events are taking place all over the country and Manchester Cathedral is hosting a memorial service with the theme: Bridging the Divide: Confronting Hate.
A number of Synagogues and Mosques around Manchester will have services and exhibitions on Friday and Saturday to commemorate the event.
The massacre was the worst act of mass murder Europe had seen since the Holocaust in WWII.
Over a period of 10 days members of the Republika Srpka army, under the command of General Ratko Mladic, carried out the systematic killing of these men and boys, often referred to as ethnic cleansing.
Srebrenica had been declared a ‘safe zone’ by the United Nations during the conflict.
To prevent identification of the people who were about to be killed, the people were ordered to take off all clothing as well as any other items which may lead to identification.
Mass graves were dug where the bodies were buried and many graves are still being discovered 24 years later.
Sunday will see a Srebrenica Flower Flash Mob in Manchester and a wreath-laying ceremony in Memorial Gardens Rochdale.
There is also display on at Manchester Central Library which also commemorates the tragic event, it ends on Sunday. All the events aim to shed a light on the genocide that took place and to remember those who lost their lives.
All the events which will take place can be found on the website: www.srebrenica.org.uk
