The United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Michael J. Murphy visited the Potočari-Srebrenica Memorial Center today and laid flowers at the memorial, thus paying tribute to the innocent victims of genocide.

After paying tribute to the victims of genocide, he spoke with representatives of the Association of Mothers of Srebrenica. He then met with Srebrenica Mayor Mladen Grujičić and his deputy, Hamdija Fejzić.

Responsibility of individuals

The US Ambassador told the media that he was primarily in Srebrenica today to pay tribute to the civilian victims of the Srebrenica genocide.

- It is very important to be clear about that and to underline the fact that genocide took place in Srebrenica. In July 1995, groups of the Republika Srpska army, under the command of Ratko Mladić and the political patronage of Radovan Karadžić, committed genocide against Bosniaks boys and men, killing more than 8,000 people.

Mladić and Karadžić are not war heroes, they are war criminals.

No amount of denial or any kind of murals can change that fact, their guilt and evil are eternal. I would like to emphasize that the genocide in Srebrenica and all other war crimes that took place between 1992 and 1995 are the responsibility of individuals.

It is their responsibility and theirs alone, it is not the fault of any ethnic group as a whole. Today, all of us in Bosnia and Herzegovina have one responsibility, and that is to acknowledge the facts and respect the victims.

Political crisis

We need to educate young people, teach them these facts and teach them to respect victims and continue our efforts to find and identify all victims from all ethnicities.

In this way, we would finally provide comfort to all families, and to investigate and prosecute and convict all individuals responsible for the crimes committed - said Murphy.

He believes that only through reconciliation Bosnia and Herzegovina can move forward for the sake of a better future for all its citizens.

- The wounds of this country need to be healed. And to build Bosnia and Herzegovina as a prosperous and democratic country, a country for the grandchildren and children of those who lost their children in the war. There is absolutely no doubt that a political crisis is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those responsible for the political crisis are politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is their responsibility to resolve the crisis - Murphy said.