US Ambassador to Bosnia Michael Murphy addressed the public in Potocari on Wednesday during the opening of the facility depot, which was built to provide adequate and dignified storage and preservation of all unidentified remains of genocide victims.

“Today we are here to officially open this important facility, which is located behind me, a facility that will provide a dignified resting place for the unidentified mortal remains and personal belongings of genocide victims. This depot will also serve as a monument, a testimony to the horrors of the genocide in Srebrenica – for everyone who wants to pay tribute and learn from history,” Murphy said.

He noted that the United States is honoured to be able to partner with the Memorial Center in the construction of this facility.

“Currently, there are thousands of white bags and boxes with parts of the remains of those who were killed in the brutal genocide situated in the premises of the Podrinje Identification Project in Tuzla,” Murphy noted.

According to him, the remains will be given back the dignity and respect they were denied during their lifetime.

“These still nameless remains will soon be placed here, where they will be restored to the dignity and respect they were so cruelly denied during their lifetime. Biological samples, personal belongings and remnants of clothing will be carefully stored in the depot. The offices, archive rooms and the conservation room will ensure a lasting memory of the victims and they will educate people about the history of this crime for generations to come.”

“At a time when genocide denial and ethno-nationalist rhetoric rear their heads again, nothing can be more important than this space and the Center's work to honour and document the crimes that happened three decades ago. By remembering the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica and carefully guarding their remains, we want to ensure that this genocide will never be forgotten or repeated,” the Ambassador added.

He recalled the increasing attempts to rewrite history “by those who would like the world to forget that this evil happened”. In addition to denying the facts about the genocide and spreading misinformation about the events that took place in Podrinje during the 1992-1995 war, the Ambassador said that such people insist on the false narrative that preserving memory is living in the past.

“Actually, honouring the victims and everything else that the Center does to preserve their memory and provide support to the survivors is the complete opposite of that,” said Murphy in his address.

“This culture of remembering the victims of hatred and division from the past is a key step on the road to healing and future reconciliation,” the Ambassador pointed out.

“It establishes a permanent record of the facts of what happened so that through dialogue, recognition and a common commitment to justice for the victims of this well-documented crime, we can transform the pain of the past into the power of peace. That is why the United States is a co-sponsor of the UN Resolution proposed by Rwanda, Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which establishes July 11 as a day of remembrance for the genocide. This Resolution, which confirms the facts and judgments of international criminal courts and the International Court of Justice, is an important step for the region's progress on the path of reconciliation,” Murphy concluded in his address.

The construction of the facility depot began in October 2023 to provide for the adequate and dignified storage and preservation of all the unidentified remains of the victims of the genocide, thus contributing to honouring and preserving their memory. The funds needed for its construction were pooled by the Srebrenica Memorial Center and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the PRO-Buducnost peace project, which is implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The facility represents a significant contribution to the memorialization and prevention of genocide denial.