WHERE IS SREBRENICA AND WHAT IS ITS SIGNIFICANCE?
Srebrenica is a town in the north-east of Bosnia which was declared a “safe area” by the United Nations during the Bosnian War. It was a city of refuge for more than 40,000 people sheltering from the war. The city had a large percentage of Bosnian Muslims with over seventy-five percent of the population being Bosniak. This enclave had been under siege for three years during the Bosnian War but had provided relative safety for local and refugee Bosniaks, until in July 1995, when it fell to Bosnian Serb forces.
Srebrenica is a town in the north-east of Bosnia which was declared a “safe area” by the United Nations during the Bosnian War. It was a city of refuge for more than 40,000 people sheltering from the war. The city had a large percentage of Bosnian Muslims with over seventy-five percent of the population being Bosniak. This enclave had been under siege for three years during the Bosnian War but had provided relative safety for local and refugee Bosniaks, until in July 1995, when it fell to Bosnian Serb forces.
WHAT WAS THE CONFLICT?
The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war was part of the breakup of Yugoslavia and resulting conflict in the Balkans region during the 1990’s. The key perpetrators in the massacre were the Republika Srpska (VRS) and other Serbian paramilitary forces who overtook Srebrenica and subjected it to “ethnic cleansing”.
The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war was part of the breakup of Yugoslavia and resulting conflict in the Balkans region during the 1990’s. The key perpetrators in the massacre were the Republika Srpska (VRS) and other Serbian paramilitary forces who overtook Srebrenica and subjected it to “ethnic cleansing”.
HOW WERE THE DUTCH INVOLVED?
The United Nations had declared Srebrenica to be under their protection and a Dutch battalion of peacekeepers (DUTCHBAT) were deployed to the “safe area”. They were only lightly armed and failed to prevent the capture of Srebrenica by the VRS. The Dutch Peacekeepers did not intervene in the subsequent massacre of men in and around the enclave and were accused of unwittingly assisting with the separation of men and women. They essentially stood by as the city was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces, and surrendered the city rather than defending it.
The United Nations had declared Srebrenica to be under their protection and a Dutch battalion of peacekeepers (DUTCHBAT) were deployed to the “safe area”. They were only lightly armed and failed to prevent the capture of Srebrenica by the VRS. The Dutch Peacekeepers did not intervene in the subsequent massacre of men in and around the enclave and were accused of unwittingly assisting with the separation of men and women. They essentially stood by as the city was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces, and surrendered the city rather than defending it.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In July 1995 the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) led by Ratko Mladic committed a massacre of more than eight thousand Bosniak men and boys in and around Srebrencia. A paramilitary unit from Serbia called the Scorpions also participated. The men and women in the UN “safe haven” were separated in front of the Dutch peacekeepers who were meant to be protecting them. These men were then led away and shot. The bodies were disposed of in mass graves and there were attempts to conceal the evidence of the killings.
The Dutch peacekeepers were incredibly ineffectual and lacked support. There was extensive media coverage and so the world saw that Dutchbat had played a role, however unintentionally, in a second genocide in Europe in the twentieth century.
In July 1995 the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) led by Ratko Mladic committed a massacre of more than eight thousand Bosniak men and boys in and around Srebrencia. A paramilitary unit from Serbia called the Scorpions also participated. The men and women in the UN “safe haven” were separated in front of the Dutch peacekeepers who were meant to be protecting them. These men were then led away and shot. The bodies were disposed of in mass graves and there were attempts to conceal the evidence of the killings.
The Dutch peacekeepers were incredibly ineffectual and lacked support. There was extensive media coverage and so the world saw that Dutchbat had played a role, however unintentionally, in a second genocide in Europe in the twentieth century.
AFTERMATH AND IMPACT?
These events were deemed an act of genocide by two international criminal courts in The Hague. The Srebrencia massacre is considered to be the largest act of mass murder and war crime in Europe since the end of World War II. In 2017 Mladic was convicted of multiple crimes, including genocide, and was sentenced to life imprisonment, but he is currently appealing the judgment.
The role of the United Nations, and Dutchbat, who were meant to be protecting the massacred men, has been viewed as a true failing of Western policy in the Balkans and a national shame for the Dutch. An official inquiry was launched in 1996 and upon release of the report the entire Government and Army Chief of Staff resigned. In 2013 and 2014 the Dutch Supreme Court held that they had been liable for failing in their duty to prevent over 300 of the deaths.
These events were deemed an act of genocide by two international criminal courts in The Hague. The Srebrencia massacre is considered to be the largest act of mass murder and war crime in Europe since the end of World War II. In 2017 Mladic was convicted of multiple crimes, including genocide, and was sentenced to life imprisonment, but he is currently appealing the judgment.
The role of the United Nations, and Dutchbat, who were meant to be protecting the massacred men, has been viewed as a true failing of Western policy in the Balkans and a national shame for the Dutch. An official inquiry was launched in 1996 and upon release of the report the entire Government and Army Chief of Staff resigned. In 2013 and 2014 the Dutch Supreme Court held that they had been liable for failing in their duty to prevent over 300 of the deaths.
Twentieth ANNIVERSARY March for REMEMBRANCE
REFERENCES:
Balkan Insight, “Paramilitaries get 15 – 20 Years for Kosovo Crimes”, June 19, 2009. https://balkaninsight.com/2009/06/19/paramilitaries-get-15-20-years-for-kosovo-crimes/
Bartrop, Paul R., 'Review of Lara J. Nettelfield and Sarah E. Wagner, Srebrenica in the Aftermath of Genocide', Holocaust and Genocide Studies 32:2 (2018: 09) 315-317.
BBC News, “UN Srebrencia immunity questioned”, June 18, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7461310.stm.
Bilefsky, Dan, and Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, “Srebrenica Massacre, After 20 Years, Still Casts a Long Shadow in Bosnia”, July 8, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/world/europe/srebrenica-genocide-massacre.html?_r=0
Comiteau, Lauren, Time, “Court Says the Dutch Are to Blame for Srebrenica Deaths”, July 06, 2011. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2081634,00.html
Engelberg, Stephen and Tim Weiner, The New Yorks Times, “MASSACRE IN BOSNIA; Srebrencia: The Days of Slaugher”, October 29, 1995. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/29/world/massacre-in-bosnia-srebrenica-the-days-of-slaughter.html?module=inline
Schroder, Alwin, The Spiegel Online, “Dealing with Genocide: A Dutch Peacekeeper Remembers Srebrenica”, July 12, 2005. https://www.spiegel.de/international/dealing-with-genocide-a-dutch-peacekeeper-remembers-srebrenica-a-364902.html
Williams, Daniel, Washington Post Foreign Service, “Srebrenica Video Vindicates Long Pursuit by Serb Activist”, June 25, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062401501_pf.html??noredirect=on
-- Harriet
Balkan Insight, “Paramilitaries get 15 – 20 Years for Kosovo Crimes”, June 19, 2009. https://balkaninsight.com/2009/06/19/paramilitaries-get-15-20-years-for-kosovo-crimes/
Bartrop, Paul R., 'Review of Lara J. Nettelfield and Sarah E. Wagner, Srebrenica in the Aftermath of Genocide', Holocaust and Genocide Studies 32:2 (2018: 09) 315-317.
BBC News, “UN Srebrencia immunity questioned”, June 18, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7461310.stm.
Bilefsky, Dan, and Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, “Srebrenica Massacre, After 20 Years, Still Casts a Long Shadow in Bosnia”, July 8, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/world/europe/srebrenica-genocide-massacre.html?_r=0
Comiteau, Lauren, Time, “Court Says the Dutch Are to Blame for Srebrenica Deaths”, July 06, 2011. http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2081634,00.html
Engelberg, Stephen and Tim Weiner, The New Yorks Times, “MASSACRE IN BOSNIA; Srebrencia: The Days of Slaugher”, October 29, 1995. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/29/world/massacre-in-bosnia-srebrenica-the-days-of-slaughter.html?module=inline
Schroder, Alwin, The Spiegel Online, “Dealing with Genocide: A Dutch Peacekeeper Remembers Srebrenica”, July 12, 2005. https://www.spiegel.de/international/dealing-with-genocide-a-dutch-peacekeeper-remembers-srebrenica-a-364902.html
Williams, Daniel, Washington Post Foreign Service, “Srebrenica Video Vindicates Long Pursuit by Serb Activist”, June 25, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062401501_pf.html??noredirect=on
-- Harriet