They were told not to be afraid; that no one would harm them.

But ten days later more than 8000 men and boys had been slaughtered, women and girls raped, and more than 20,000 people had been forced from their homes.

The Srebrenica Massacre began on July 11, 1995, when Bosnian Serb units led by General Ratko Mladic captured the town in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The general told the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) “don’t be afraid... no one will harm you” just before the 10-day genocide began.

READ MORE: First Minister hails survivors of Srebrenica massacre 25 years on

Men and boys were separated from their families and killed, with their bodies dumped in mass graves, and – 26 years on – survivors are still searching for the remains of loved ones.

A new Scottish exhibition now aims to commemorate Srebrenica, the greatest atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.

Remembering Srebrenica Scotland is hosting a Bosnian War exhibition in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, exploring Scotland’s connections with the country during and after the war and revealing the stories of those who lived through it.

The exhibition – which was originally designed to mark the 25th anniversary but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis - will feature a unique collection of personal items from Bosnians who now live in Scotland, and from Scots who travelled to Bosnia to deliver aid and help uncover the truth about the genocide.

David Hamilton, secretary of Remembering Srebrenica Scotland, volunteered as an aid convoy driver during the war, and his parents-in-law Alan and Christine Witcutt also delivered aid from Scotland to Bosnia.

He believes the exhibition shows what life was like in the country at that time.

“My late father-in-law and his wife Christine Witcutt went out to Bosnia in 1992 and sadly when they left Sarajevo, Christine was shot by sniper and died,” he said. “So it’s very poignant to come back here and see Alan’s ID card in this exhibition, which shows the connection Scotland had with Bosnia during that terrible time.

“The exhibition really captures what life was like in Bosnia. What this exhibition does is tell the story of ordinary people and how they were affected by the war.”

READ MORE: Massacre of Srebrenica: Peter Howson on his powerful new artwork

The display will include several items on loan from the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as new painting by acclaimed artist Peter Howson called Bosnian Twilight – the Silent Forest.

Other items on display include an ID card belonging to Schoolgirl Elvira Mujkanović, who was held in dreadful conditions in a concentration camp with her family before the Red Cross helped her flee to Scotland.

A letter from Elvira’s best friend will also be on show. She wrote detailing her hopes for the future but was murdered by Serb soldiers just three days later at the age of 17.

Visitors will also be able to see a diary kept by 11-year-old Zlata Filipović as she grew up in the war, recounting the terror and confusion of war from a child’s perspective.

A United Nations cap belonging to Robert McNeil, a forensic technician from Glasgow who was part of a team of experts that uncovered the mass graves, will also be on display.

Mr McNeil, now an ambassador of Remembering Srebrenica UK, said: “The UN cap was given to me when I first arrived in Bosnia in 1996.

“I wore it throughout my numerous deployments to Bosnia, particularly to Srebrenica and then to Kosovo, and I hang on to it because it’s a constant reminder of the work I was engaged with out there.

“It’s wonderful that Kelvingrove has facilitated this exhibition.

“It will mean so much to the Bosnian population, not only in Scotland but throughout the world.

“It’s a forgotten war in a lot of ways, and it’s a reminder of the genocide that happened there.”

The exhibition opened on Monday to mark White Armband Day, which remembers the campaign of ethnic cleansing that took place in the town of Prijedor, northern Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Serb war time authorities ordered non-Serbs to mark themselves and their homes with white armbands and sheets. Thousands were forced from their homes, interned in camps and many were killed, including children.

The event will run until November 24.

Remembering Srebrenica Scotland has organised nearly 20 delegations to Srebrenica since it was established in 2015, with participants including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and MSPs from all parties.

The charity aims to bring communities together to remember Srebrenica through organising commemoration events and developing education resources for use in Scottish schools.