 Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 11, 2005 – President Paul Wolfowitz today joined many other local and international officials and more than 50,000 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to pay his respects to the 8,000 victims of the biggest massacre in Europe since World War II.
“We’re here today for many reasons, but most of all we are here to remember and honor the victims of the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II. Equally we are here to console the survivors and to commit ourselves to do everything we can to help them to rebuild shattered lives,” said President Wolfowitz in his address at the commemoration ceremony in Srebrenica. The ceremony in Srebrenica marked the tenth anniversary of the massacre. It was attended by other senior international officials including British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, representing the European Union (EU), Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, representing the UN Secretary General, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, US Ambassador for war crimes Pierre-Richard Prosperre and Robert Holbrooke representing the US, the Presidents of neighboring Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro, Stjepan Mesic and Boris Tadic, and many others. President Wolfowitz’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 10-11 is part of his second official  | World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz meeting with Bosnia and
Herzegovina Premier Adnan Terzic. |
trip—the first trip was to Africa—since he took over the World Bank presidency on June 1, 2005. Mr. Wolfowitz has visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and specifically Srebrenica several times over the last few years. From Bosnia he goes on to Belgrade, Serbia, where he will meet with the authorities as well as representatives of civil society. Meetings with Authorities, Youth in Sarajevo On Sunday evening, Paul Wolfowitz met with Bosnia and  | | President Wolfowitz tours the Sarajevo Old City, Bascarsija, with youth representatives. |
Herzegovina Premier Adnan Terzic, as well as representatives of local youth groups. “I have three more exams, but where will I go? There are no jobs for young people,” one of the youth representatives told President Wolfowitz as the group walked through the Sarajevo old town, Bascarsija. Due to the weak education system and high unemployment rate, many young people still think of leaving the country, the youth representatives informed President Wolfowitz. “I have returned because my family has its roots here,” another BH youth told President Wolfowitz. “And I am optimistic about the future otherwise I would not be here.” Members of the World Bank’s Youth Voices Group in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who also attended the meeting with President Wolfowitz, said they are using the Youth Voices as a tool to improve the situation for youth through fresh, new ideas about education reform, anti-HIV/AIDS activities, national youth policy and the environment. Remembering Srebrenica’s Victims  | | Reading the names of victims |
On Monday morning, President Wolfowitz traveled to Srebrenica to attend the 10th anniversary commemoration at the Potocari Memorial Center. Srebrenica is a small, remote town in the hills in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, close to the border with Serbia and Montenegro. The town was built around rich bauxite, copper, zinc and silver mines, and was eventually named after its silver mines. During the war, the town was declared a “safe zone” by the UN, but was overrun by forces led by General Ratko Mladić in July 1995. More than 8,000 people, mainly men and boys, were killed as they attempted to flee the town. Their bodies were thrown into numerous mass graves in the wider Srebrenica region. Some 4,000 bodies have been exhumed so far but only 2,000 of them have been identified by DNA analysis. Around 1,300 bodies have been buried at the Potocari memorial. Bosnian Serb war-time leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladić, and 17 other Bosnian Serbs and Serbs have been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war for the events that occurred in and around Srebrenica in the summer of 1995. “Criminals who did this act are the ones who bear responsibility, but it is a stain upon the conscience of the entire world, that we did not do more to prevent it. Those who perpetrated these crimes must be brought to justice. This is not only to deter future crimes, but it is a critical precondition to begin the healing and the reconciliation among the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the region of South Eastern Europe,” President Wolfowitz said in his speech.
Working Toward a Brighter Future After the war, numerous international organizations provided support for reconstruction of houses and other projects in the Srebrenica region, hoping to facilitate the return of refugees. While several country-wide reconstruction projects financed by the World Bank benefited Srebrenica and its people, the Bank also funded activities in and around Srebrenica. These include the rehabilitation of the water pipeline to the Potocari reservoir and a pumping station at Bratunac, reconstruction of an apartment building, and rebuilding of a local road and youth center.  | President Wolfowitz addressing
the crowds at the ceremony. |
Despite help from many sources, Srebrenica remains a poor town. With few jobs available locally, the pace of return by Bosniak refugees is slow while many Bosnian Serb residents have left. “We are also here to express our hopes that all citizens of this country will use this opportunity not only to reflect on the past but to commit to building a brighter future,” said President Wolfowitz in his address. “I am proud that the World Bank has been able to participate in building a better future for this country and I appeal to everyone here today to stand together to make the dreams of this young generation a reality.” * * * To read President Wolfowitz's speech at the Srebrenica ceremony (in English and in Bosnian translation) click here. To read the press release on President Wolfowitz’s visit, click here. Since 1996 Bosnia and Herzegovina has made economic and social progress. Much of the infrastructure has been restored, GDP has trebled, absolute poverty has been eradicated, exports are up tenfold, private investment is on the rise, and many difficult reforms have been initiated. In the past 12 months Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued to make progress, but significant structural challenges still lie ahead. Click here, for an overview. The World Bank has committed more than USD 65m in new resources in Fiscal Year 2005. The total portfolio under implementation now stands at 19 projects for USD 337 million.
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