Ambassador Bojan Šošić in Sweden: Srebrenica is a lesson Europe has yet to learn

(Patria) - At the commemoration in Stockholm, the BiH ambassador spoke about the victims of genocide, the danger of revisionism, and responsibility towards the future.

At the commemoration marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, held in Stockholm on July 11, 2025, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sweden, Bojan Šošić, delivered a powerful speech reminding attendees – including ambassadors, parliamentarians, Swedish officials, and representatives of the BiH diaspora – of the scale of the crime, the responsibility of the international community, and the danger of forgetting and relativization.



Ambassador Šošić reminded that the commemoration is held in accordance with the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted on May 23, 2024, which declared July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica. As he pointed out, the remains of seven more victims are being buried this year, which was the occasion for him to call for a minute of silence.

Speaking about the broader context, Šošić emphasized that international courts did not treat crimes in other parts of BiH – such as Prijedor, Ključ, or Brčko – as genocide, which, as he says, was explained by procedural reasons. "Such an explanation is almost an insult to the victims," he stated.

He also pointed out that the narrowing of the definition of genocide has opened the door for deniers, relativizers, and those who still celebrate convicted war criminals today. "We have a 'municipal' concept of genocide that obscures the truth about the war against Bosnia and Herzegovina," the ambassador added.

In his speech, he also addressed the broader political and social consequences: "Bosnia and Herzegovina is often viewed through ethnic divisions that have become 'political facts.' This is the most dangerous consequence of the ideology of evil," Šošić warned.

He recalled that Bosnia, as a sovereign state, was forbidden to defend itself, with the imposition of an arms embargo, which allowed aggressors to pursue their goals unhindered, while international actors presented it all as a "tribal conflict."

"Today, in a time of increasingly present Islamophobia in Europe and the return of ideologies that were the foundation of crimes in BiH, we must ask the question: how do the victims feel when they see that their suffering is not recognized for what it is?" said the ambassador, also quoting Hannah Arendt to point out the complexity of identity in a time when survival seems possible only through collective defense.

He concluded that those present are there not only to remember the victims but also for the strength and dignity of the survivors, who, despite everything, are trying to rebuild their country. "Their struggle is a hope that 'Never again' will one day have real meaning," said Ambassador Bojan Šošić.

His speech was met with attention and respect, and the commemoration in Stockholm once again reminded the European public that the Srebrenica genocide is not only a tragedy of one people but also a test of the conscience of the entire continent.