McKinney marks anniversary of Srebrenica genocide

Alliance Waterside representative Philip McKinney has said nobody should be targeted based on differences of national identity, ethnicity, religion, or political opinion, following the planting of a memorial tree in St. Columb’s Park on Thursday (6 July), in honour of the memory of over 8,000 victims of the Srebrenica genocide, which took place on 11 July 1995.

Philip McKinney

Council offices in Strand Road were also lit green in honour of community groups which have campaigned for transparency and justice in the aftermath of the massacre. Over the course of the attacks, over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Christian Serb forces.

“Nobody should ever be targeted based on differences of national identity, ethnicity, religion, or political opinion, and never under any circumstances are those differences a reason to take somebody’s life,” said Mr McKinney.

“This is something that hits particularly close to home for us here in Northern Ireland where, 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we are still fighting to achieve a truly inclusive, shared society, free from segregation and the divisions that stand between us.

“Those who do not look back on history are often doomed to repeat its mistakes. That’s why it’s so crucial that we continue to remember what happened in Srebrenica, in what was a horrific act of genocide, and the lives that were so tragically lost.

“The suffering inflicted as a result of the violence is unimaginable, and my thoughts are with the families that were impacted and who continue to grieve the loss of their loved ones.”