I usually don't like to post on social media on July 11. I like to take a step back to reflect on the Srebrenica genocide, leaving the space for the survivors and their stories. This year, I went to the commemoration. The experience was soul crushing, but worth sharing. ()

The commemoration is held in the frmr UN compound, where 10s of thousands sought shelter on July 11, 1995 before being handed over to the Bosnian Serb army by the resident Dutch battalion. Sitting here near entrance, all you can think of is the mortal fear they must have felt.

You enter and the first thing you see is a majestic exhibition of works by Safet Zec. This central piece, a father with his two children, really makes you face the horror of (mostly) men and boys taken from families and executed systematically, mercilessly and in cold blood.

Walking by as five people in unison read names starting with "S", I was startled when they announced "Saša"; most likely short for Sabahudin in this case. Victims were, bar one, exclusively Bosniak. It is not about me - but the reality that it could've been hit hard.

In 1997, @BorisJohnson stated that the victims of the Srebrenica genocide "were not exactly angels." In 2020, as PM, he rightfully called it a genocide in a video message. The families of victims still demand an official apology for what was a tonedeaf, Islamophobic comment.

In his address, PM Johnson spoke of the need to defeat racism, bigotry and other forms of hate. A positive message, but without addressing one's own faults, it does feel a bit too little, too late. The 1997 comment is not irrelevant, as it fuels a much larger denialist narrative.

On the way to the burial ceremony, we walked past "Što te nema," an artwork with one cup of coffee for each victim. The first thing that greets you as you walk up to the lake of fildžani is the smell of coffee. That's when it becomes too real.

The lake turns into a sea of nišani - sleek, white tombstones - with nine freshly dug graves for the victims identified over the past year. This is where you feel the urge to grab the next denialist and just ask them to dig those graves and bury the victims him/herself.

We sat in the shade on a hill above during the burial. I saw a young man pray for 2 of his relatives, and turn and offer a prayer for the rest. I couldn't hold back tears. I felt shattered into fragments. I have no idea how those who survived managed to put themselves together.

The immensity of the work done by the @SrebrenicaMC against all odds and rampant denialism must be lauded. Grand Mufti Husein Kazazović also needs to be mentioned for one of the kindest and empathetic messages I've ever heard.