Sadiq Khan becomes the first Mayor of London—and the first mayor of a global city—to visit the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, honouring the victims of the 1995 genocide and reaffirming
London's commitment to remembrance, education and standing against hatred.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has become the first Mayor of London—and the first mayor of a global city—to visit the Srebrenica Memorial Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he paid tribute on behalf of Londoners to the more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys murdered during the Srebrenica genocide.
Ahead of the anniversary of the genocide, the Mayor met with Dr Emir Suljagić, Executive Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre and a survivor of the massacre. He also met members of the Mothers of Srebrenica, who continue to campaign for truth, justice and remembrance, offering his condolences to families who lost loved ones.
In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered by Bosnian Serb forces, while more than 30,000 Bosniak Muslim women, children and older people were forcibly displaced from the region. The atrocities were later recognised as genocide by international courts and remain the worst mass atrocity committed on European soil since the Holocaust.
The Mayor's visit marks the first by a London Mayor to the Memorial Centre and the first by the mayor of any global city. It is also the highest-level visit by a UK politician to the Centre in more than a decade.
The visit forms part of the Mayor's continued commitment to promoting remembrance, confronting hatred and ensuring the lessons of history are not forgotten. Earlier this year, Sadiq visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, reflecting London's determination to stand against antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and all forms of hatred.
At a time when conflict, division and disinformation are fuelling hatred across the world, memorials and museums such as the Srebrenica Memorial Centre play a vital role in preserving historical truth, educating future generations and helping to prevent future atrocities.
During his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Mayor also met Dr Denis Bećirović, the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Mayor of Sarajevo, Samir Avdić, and the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk. Their discussions focused on the importance of remembrance, strengthening ties between London and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the shared challenges of tackling division, promoting social cohesion and defending democratic values.
The Mayor's visit comes as London continues to champion tolerance, inclusion and solidarity with communities affected by genocide, persecution and conflict around the world.
This version adopts the tone and structure typically used by UK government departments and the Mayor of London's press office, with a stronger opening, smoother transitions, more precise historical language, and clearer political framing. Photo by Skrewt25, Wikimedia commons.
