Principal deputy to Bosnia’s international administrator, Michael Scanlan, visited the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Centre on Thursday and paid his respects to the victims of the 1995 genocide who are buried there.
Scanlan is the Principal Deputy of Austrian diplomat Valentin Inzko, who has been the High Representative in the country since 2009.
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The Office of the High Representative (OHR) is tasked with overseeing the civilian implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended Bosnia’s war and contains the country’s Constitution.
The OHR said that during his visit, Scanlan met with representatives of the associations of victims’ families who shared with him the issues of concern to the survivors and their families.
“Genocide victims and their families deserve our utmost respect. This tragedy must never be forgotten. It should serve as a reminder and a warning for younger generations – to build a better, more inclusive and caring future,” Scanlan said according to the OHR.
He also toured the Memorial Centre and its exhibitions together with Director Mersad Smajlovic and commented that it is important to go there not just on July 11, for the commemoration event and burial ceremony for the newly identified victims, but that it also serves as “a living memorial that has a role to play throughout the year.”
