” …a protest campaign of open character, with international participation, which takes place on annual basis. It is conducted on a mapped route, similar to that which the Bosniaks from the “safe haven” used to try to reach the free territory under the control of the 2nd Corps of ARBiH, after the fall of Srebrenica into the hands of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). ”
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This year’s Peace March will be the seventh campaign, taking place as a part of 16th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica and its environs, in order to remind the world of horrible crimes conducted by army and police forces of Republika Srpska, supported by forces from Serbia, against Bosniaks in “safe haven of the UN” – Srebrenica, in July 1995.
This campaign is called a “protest“, as it aims to attract all the relevant actors at local and international level, for faster arrest and prosecution of persons responsible for committed crimes (genocide, crime against humanity), for administration of justice as a prerequisite for building lasting peace and tolerance among people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Column of participants, consisting of thousands from all around the world and increasing its number each year, starts from a village called Nezuk (Sapna Municipality) and over three days period reaches Potočari (Srebrenica Municipality), by passing over 110 kilometers. A day after the March is finished, participants have the opportunity to attend a memorial service and participate in performing the funeral prayer (in Islamic religious tradition) and burial of identified victims of genocide, found in one of the sites of mass graves that they themselves passed by as part of the planned routes. Peace March lasts for three days, from 8th to 10th of July 2011, with the same number of stages. Each of the stages is between 35 and 40 kilometers long. The column departs on 8th of July 2011 sometime around 08:30am from Nezuk, Sapna Municipality. From Nezuk, as a starting point, to Potočari, as a destination, participants undergo the following checkpoints: |
Nezuk – Baljkovica – Parlog – Crni Vrh – Snagovo – Liplje – Jošanica – Donja Kamenica – Bakrači – Glodi – Udrč – Cerska – Kaldrmica – Đugum – Mravinjci – Burnice – Kameničko Brdo – Ravni Buljim – Jaglići – Šušnjari – Budak – Potočari (Memorijalni centar).
The route includes rugged hill terrains and mountains (Udrč, 1043m), areas densely covered with trees with creeks, and passes through a number of returnee villages, whose hospitality many of the participants experienced in previous years and Marches. In each of these locations, participants have the opportunity to see some of site of importance, that historically date in not so distant past: places where there was mass executions of captured Bosniaks, or places where they found the primary and secondary mass graves. During the March, on certain checkpoints, short historical classes are held, where there is an opportunity to hear some of the testimonies of survivors and participants of the real “Death March” from 1995. Check out 2011 Peace March website
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REMEMBER SREBRENICA GENOCIDE? 