Prijedor Commemorates Genocide Victims on Day of White Ribbons

The Day of White Ribbons is observed annually on May 31st. It remembers the victims of genocide committed against Bosniaks, Croats, and other non-Serb residents in Prijedor and its surroundings. These crimes occurred during the Serbian-Montenegrin aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina from May 31, 1992, until 1995. Even today, Serbian authorities are accused of hiding the truth, denying crimes, and glorifying war criminals.

On May 31, 1992, the Prijedor crisis staff, led by the Serb Democratic Party, issued an order. This order commanded non-Serb residents—Bosniaks, Croats, and others—to display white cloths on their homes and wear white ribbons on their arms in public. This act marked the beginning of a genocidal campaign. It led to mass killings, rapes, and the forced displacement of over 30,000 people into concentration camps like Omarska, Keraterm, and Trnopolje. During the war in the Prijedor area, 3,176 people were killed or went missing, including 102 children.

Today, wearing white ribbons symbolizes the global fight against crime denial, fascism, and discrimination based on nationality or religion. Central commemorations take place in Prijedor, with citizens gathering, walking through the main square, and placing white roses bearing the names of the murdered children. Similar events are held across Bosnia and Herzegovina and in cities worldwide where Bosnian survivors and human rights activists live. They aim to remind the world of the events in the Prijedor region.

However, some individuals in Prijedor, allegedly influenced by the Serbian political and police regime, reportedly try to disrupt and control the observance of May 31st. They are accused of attempting to manipulate victims and obscure the truth about the extensive crimes committed against Bosniaks in the Prijedor region. Despite these challenges, Prijedor and the victims of genocide must not be forgotten, and efforts to manipulate history will not be tolerated.