TODOROV: WE REMEMBER GENOCIDE AGAINST THE SERB PEOPLE

PRIJEDOR, 11 July /SRNA/ – State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs of Serbia Đorđe Todorov said at Mrakovica that genocide was committed against the Serb people during the Second World War, and that Republika Srpska was created so that the suffering at Kozara and other major sites of mass killings would never happen again.

Speaking at the commemoration marking the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Kozara, Todorov said that this mountain is a sacred place soaked in Serb blood and that the Kozara epic represented not only the revolt and struggle for the mere survival of Serbs, but also the survival of Orthodoxy in this area. He said that attempts had been made during the 20th century to eradicate Serbs from their centuries-old lands, to which they would always return. Todorov stressed that today some people from European countries lecture the Serb people, while the president of one of those countries killed people on Kozara and was therefore decorated by the leader of the Ustasha Nazi movement, Ante Pavelić. This was genocide against the Serb people; let them call it whatever they want. That is why support is important, and that is why Republika Srpska is important. That is why we will remember and nurture the culture of remembrance," Todorov said. He said that Republika Srpska and its leadership have the full support of Serbia. The highest leadership of Republika Srpska attended today's commemoration at Mrakovica marking the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Kozara, a symbol of the suffering and resistance of the Serb people in the fight against the Nazis and Ustasha forces during the Second World War. Around 40,000 civilians were killed during the battle, while 68,000 were taken to camps, including more than 23,000 children.