Srebrenica, 30 years since the genocide. Mattarella: "Emblem of the horrors of nationalism."

Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. "A tragedy that, despite the best hopes, was emblematic of the unspeakable horrors into which Europe could once again descend, following actions that revived the horrendous banner of 'ethnic cleansing' under the guise of nationalistic assertions, in an area, the Balkans, which has always been characterized by being a melting pot of encounter and coexistence between peoples and cultures," stated the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella , on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.

Over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered in Srebrenica in 1995. It has been recognized as the only genocide to have occurred in Europe since the Holocaust. Today, thousands of family members, relatives, and ordinary citizens gathered in silence and tears before the graves of their loved ones, in the endless expanse of white stelae that characterizes the Potocari Memorial Cemetery.

"The years that have passed since that terrible massacre," he continues, "have not dulled the victims' outcry of pain, which continues to resonate through the testimonies of their surviving family members. The conscience of the international community has not emerged unscathed from those events, which have left behind the awareness of a collective responsibility, which calls for the intervention and condemnation of all peoples." The Head of State concludes: "A sad lesson that, like others, fuels the shared duty to prevent and combat similar atrocities and firmly condemn any attempt at reductionism or denial. Fighting the spread of hatred is the responsibility of each and every country."