Srebrenica Resolution Adopted

Bosnian politicians and family associations of Srebrenica genocide victims have welcomed the adoption of the resolution on genocide at Srebrenica by the UN General Assembly. But, the president of the Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina named “failed” this resolution”.

The resolution, which was approved by 84 votes for, 19 against and 68 abstentions, declares July 11th International Day of the Memorial of Genocide Victims in Srebrenica.

Among other things, the resolution also calls for “condemnation of any denial of genocide in Srebrenica, as well as actions that glorify war crimes convicts, including those responsible for genocide”.

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Nermin Niksic said the resolution for genocide in Srebrenica is a human and civilising act.

“Today, perpetrators, criminals and that part of humanity that does not yet know the difference between good and evil were given an important lesson”, he said.

According to Nikisic, the adoption of the resolution sent a powerful human and political message to individuals fleeing responsibility.

Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency member, Zelko Komsic, said that with the adoption of this resolution “reached a political consensus” for the genocide committed at Srebrenica.

Through a social networking post, he said that the process that had been initiated with the indictment of genocide, which continued with the proclamation of formal form judgments before international courts and was finally closed with the adoption of the resolution at the UN.

But, Republika Srpska's entity president in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, named the “failed” resolution, after saying he failed to get the votes of most UN General Assembly member states.

About 110 states did not vote, or were against, or abstained. This is a failed resolution and means that the UN has not supported”, Dodik wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the Srebrenica Mothers' Association called <x0fit of truth and justice”, the adoption of the resolution on genocide in Srebrenica by members of the UN General Assembly on 23 May.

This association also thanked all states that supported this resolution, which was initiated by Germany and Rwanda, and supported by many other states.

Meanwhile, the American Embassy in Sarajevo said continued denials of genocide in Srebrenica make “important and urgent” the international memory of the 1995 events.

The resolution does not target any member state and does not place collective responsibility on any group of people. The resolution makes it clear that we all have an obligation to accept the facts, learn the truth, honor the victims, support continued efforts to locate and identify victims and prosecute perpetrators. These steps are essential for reconciliation”, this embassy said through an X post, formerly known as Twitter.

Germany and Rwanda were the main sponsors of the Srebrenica resolution, the states that jointly initiated and drafted its text respectively.

In Srebrenica, Serb forces killed over 8,000 Bosnian men and boys in July 1995.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague characterised crime in Srebrenica as genocide in 2007.

She found that Serbia was not responsible for the act or collaborator, but stated she did nothing to prevent it.

For the genocide committed so far, more than 50 persons were sentenced to about 700 years in prison.

Among them are Republika Srpska's wartime president, Radovan Karadzic, and the general commander of the then Serbian Army, Ratko Mladic. / REL/