Father to Bury Son 30 Years After Srebrenica Genocide

Thirty years after Europe’s worst atrocity since World War II, Husejin Avdic is finally preparing to bury his son, Senajid, who was just 19 when he was killed in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.

“We lived in hope that he had gone somewhere and would come back,” Husejin said, tears in his eyes. Now 30 years later, the Avdic family will lay to rest the partial remains found in Suljici in 2010 and officially identified only last year.

Senajid was among more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys killed when Bosnian Serb forces overran the UN-declared “safe area” of Srebrenica in July 1995. The killings have been internationally recognized as genocide.

Before the war, the Avdics lived in Bratunac and had four children. When conflict broke out, Husejin was working in Croatia. He returned briefly but left again with his eldest son, Jusuf, while his wife Alma remained to care for the others. During the war, Senajid and his brother Zejad tried to flee through the forest but were separated during an attack. Only Zejad survived.

Despite persistent rumors that some survivors had crossed into Serbia, the Avdics waited in vain for news of Senajid. His sister, Almedina, was the first to learn of the identification of his remains but waited in silence, hoping more would be recovered.

Eventually, the family decided to proceed with burial. “We decided to bury what was found so we know where he is, so we can visit and pray,” said Husejin. His wife, now in fragile health, insists on attending the funeral.

Seven genocide victims will be buried this July 11 at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center, including another 19-year-old, Hariz Mujic. To date, 6,765 victims have been buried at the memorial site, with over 1,000 still missing.

The Srebrenica genocide has left deep scars across Bosnia and reshaped its post-war identity. Courts in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have sentenced 54 people—18 of them by The Hague, including wartime leaders Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic—to a total of 781 years in prison and five life sentences.

For families like the Avdics, justice is ongoing, but grief remains. “Faith has helped us survive,” said Husejin. “Praying eases the pain a little.”