The United Nations has approved a resolution to establish an annual day to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, a tragic event that saw at least 8,000 Muslim Bosniak men and boys slaughtered by Bosnian Serbs. The resolution designates July 11 as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica,” to be observed annually starting in two months.
Despite fierce opposition from Serbs, the resolution was passed with a vote of 84-19, with 68 nations abstaining. The resolution, sponsored by Germany and Rwanda, aims to remember the victims of the genocide and honor their memory.
However, the resolution faced strong resistance from Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who vehemently opposed the commemoration. Vučić, draped in a Serbian flag during the vote, argued that all those involved in the massacre have already been convicted and sentenced to prison, and that the resolution aimed to put moral and political guilt on the Serbian people.
The adoption of the resolution was welcomed by many Western and Muslim nations, as well as by family members of the Srebrenica victims. The United States, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, expressed its commitment to honoring the victims and working towards a more peaceful world.
The Srebrenica genocide was a brutal chapter in Bosnia’s 1992-95 war, and the resolution serves as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging and remembering the atrocities committed during that time. Despite the opposition, the establishment of the annual commemoration day is a step towards recognizing and honoring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide.