Rama recalls 26-year-old Srebrenica massacre

The 26th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica has reminded Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Rama has also published a photograph.

“11 July, 26 years from the Srebrenica genocide”, Rama wrote.

In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces killed over 8 thousand Muslim men and boys in the Srebrenica enclave, which had been designated a secure “ ” country by the United Nations.

On 9 July 1995, then Serb leader Radovan Karadzic issued a new order to invade Srebrenica. Troops surrounded the enclave and attacked Dutch peacekeepers, taking 30 of them hostage.

A day later, on July 10th, Bosnian Serb soldiers began shelling Srebrenica. Dutch forces threatened the Serbs that there would be NATO air strikes if they did not withdraw by morning.

And the next day, NATO planes bombed Serbian tanks outside Srebrenica. Serbian forces threatened to resume the bombing and kill captured Dutch soldiers. The air strikes were halted, and on the evening of July 11th, Bosnian Serb commander General Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica.

About 30,000 Muslim refugees gathered around the Dutch peacekeepers' base in Potocari, north of the town of Srebrenica, after Bosnian Serb forces took control of the safe zone.

Mladic tried to calm them down, saying they did not have to be afraid. Bosnian Serb forces put frightened refugees in buses, as if they were leaving. Many of the refugees were evacuated to Kladanj, 50 miles [50 km] away, and from there they began walking to find a safe haven.

The United Nations noted that the majority of refugees who arrived from Srebrenica were women, children and older ones and began to worry about the fate of men.

About 15 thousand Bosnian Muslim soldiers and civilians left Srebrenica at night, trying to reach Muslim-controlled territory. Many died from bombing and sniper strikes.

During the week following the fall of Srebrenica, about 8 thousand men and boys were thought to be killed by Bosnian Serbs and buried in mass graves.

Even after more than two decades of murder, mass graves continue to be found. The identification of the victims is difficult, since the bodies had been torn apart by explosives that were thrown into the grave.

Every year on 11 July, the remains of those identified during the last year are buried at the Potocari Memorial Centre.

While at the July 7th (2021) session, Kosovo Assembly deputies with 89 votes for, none and no abstention have adopted the resolution to condemn genocide in Srebrenica. This resolution was supported by all parliamentary groups, except by the Serbian List, which issued the hall as the resolution was launched.

MP Bahri Shaban from the Vacat coalition presented the draft resolution condemning the genocide in Srebrenica, in order for this event not to be forgotten and denied.