Djuric: March Pogrom one of most painful chapters in our recent history

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Tuesday the March 17-18, 2004 pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija was one of the most painful chapters in recent Serbian history and that remembrance of the events was a solemn pledge to preserve the truth and honour the victims.

"Burned homes, shattered churches and monasteries, desecrated cemeteries, and deserted villages - these haunting images have endured in our collective memory for more than two decades, as a testament to one of the most painful chapters in our recent history.

On 17 and 18 March 2004, in Kosovo-Metohija, the spiritual and Christian cultural heritage of the Serbian people, built and preserved over many centuries, was subjected to widespread and coordinated violence, remembered in Serbia as the March Pogrom," Djuric posted on X.

"During those tragic days, at least eight Serbs lost their lives, hundreds were injured, and more than 4,000 were forced from their homes. Dozens of Christian churches and monasteries were destroyed or heavily damaged, alongside homes, schools, and public institutions, while invaluable cultural and religious heritage was desecrated.

Many of these crimes remain without full accountability. The suffering of the victims and the scale of destruction must not be forgotten.

This remembrance is not only about the past. It is a solemn pledge while looking towards a different future, to preserve the truth, to honor the victims, and, as a people guided by Christian and universal values, to remain steadfast in protecting our people, our identity, and our spiritual and cultural heritage," he noted.