The Srebrenica Memorial Center has announced on social media earlier yesterday [Friday March 6th] that it will close until further notice, citing concerns of a potential Bosnian Serb secession.
There have been growing tensions with Republika Srpska separatists in the last week, following the announced imprisonment of Bosnian Serb leader Milorak Dodik. He has been sentenced to one year in jail, and has been banned from participating in politics for the next six years for defying international peace envoy Christian Schmidt’s orders. Hungarian leader Viktor Órban described the verdict as a “witch hunt” on Twitter, on February 26th.
Dodik reacted by claiming that “there is no more Bosnia and Herzegovina as of today” at a rally. The Bosnian Serb leader has two weeks to appeal the decision, while a Reuters report claims that is expected to pay a fine instead of facing imprisonment. As of now, Dodik rejected the decision, followed by Republika Srpska passing the next day a law denying the right to the national police and judiciary to enter the territory.
He also announced he will not appeal: “I will not go to their political court, because Serbs no longer submit to inquisitions”. Dodik is expected to meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić by next week to discuss the crisis, while EU officials are set to meet in the next few days with their Bosnian counterparts.
Bosnian Minister Of Defense Zukan Helez reacted to Dodik’s claims on Facebook, encouraging citizens to stay calm. He insisted that “We must not react to Dodik’s provocations, as well as his loyalists.” Instead, he suggested Bosnians should rely on the country’s institutions: “I am sure that the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are fully prepared to protect the constitutional and legal order of our homeland. Let them do their job.”
The Srebrenica Memorial Center insisted it would reopen the Museum and its facilities once security for its employees will be guaranteed. In their social media post, the Memorial Center described the current events in Banja Luka as “an ongoing coup directed against state institutions by rebel groups based in Banja Luka”. They added the Center will seek protection from SIPA (State Investigation and Protection Agency), OHR (Office of the High Representative), and EUFOR (European Union Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The Srebrenica Memorial Center has been dedicated to remember the victims of the Srebenica Genocide since its creation in 2003.
It is a crucial institution amid ethnic tensions between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs. Its role in reconciling Bosnia’s different ethnic groups is undeniable.
This is the first time the Memorial Center has closed due to security concerns since its creation, which demonstrates the gravity of the current crisis. Leaders from the Center have often clashed with Bosnian Serb leaders in the past, notably when Dodik declared in 2024 that there “was no genocide in Srebrenica.”
