Remember the lessons of Srebrenica, preserve historical truth and protect human dignity – this was the appeal made by the UN Secretary-General to the international community on Friday.
António Guterres’ speech at the General Assembly in New York was timed to coincide with the International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, which is observed on July 11.
“The world has come together in solidarity (with the victims of the tragedy) on the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, the most horrific atrocity on European soil since World War II,” the UN chief said.
Guterres acknowledged that thirty years ago, “the United Nations and the entire world failed the people of Srebrenica. This collective failure was not a historical accident,” the UN chief stressed. “It was the result of politics, propaganda and international indifference.”
The tragedy of Srebrenica
During the Bosnian war, Srebrenica, under UN protection, was declared a “safe area.” However, on July 11 1995, the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces under the command of General Ratko Mladić.
Despite the presence of Dutch peacekeepers, more than 8,000 Muslim men and teenagers were separated from their families, arrested and then systematically executed. On the first day alone, around 2,000 people were killed. In the days that followed, thousands more were killed as they tried to flee through the forests. Women, children and the elderly were forcibly deported.
The bodies of the victims were buried in more than 570 mass graves across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many of them were later exhumed to conceal evidence. This has hampered the identification process, which is still ongoing.
The International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia recognised the events as genocide. Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić were sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 2007, the UN International Court of Justice confirmed that the events constituted genocide. The Institute for Missing Persons has approached the families of nine more identified victims whose remains are being held in Tuzla, asking for their consent to bury them. Another 45 people are awaiting official confirmation from their relatives.
