Serbia Apologizes for Srebrenica Massacre
Serbia on Wednesday took an important first step towards addressing its troubling recent history by passing a resolution condemning the massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia. But the resolution aimed at steering a path towards EU membership for the Balkan nation steers clear of the term "genocide."
After more than 13 hours of debate, the Serbian parliament passed a resolution apologizing for the massacre at Srebrenica with a slim majority early Wednesday morning. The resolution "strongly condemns" the atrocity that took place during the Bosnian war. Lawmakers expressed "their condolences and an apology to the families of the victims because not everything possible was done to prevent the tragedy."
In 1995, fanatic Serbians murdered around 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys in the city of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia. A small contingent of Dutch peacekeepers assigned to protect the city, a United Nations "safe area," did little to stop the incursion and killings conducted by Bosnian Serb soldiers. The massacre is considered the worst war crime to be perpetrated in Europe since World War II. The bodies of the victims were later found in mass graves.
With the resolution, parliament broke years of silence in Serbian politics over the atrocity. The resolution stops short, however, of describing the massacre as "genocide," as it has been labelled by the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is currently facing war crimes charges at ICTY. However, former Serbian General Ratko Mladic -- the other man believed to be responsible for the massacre -- remains at large....
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After more than 13 hours of debate, the Serbian parliament passed a resolution apologizing for the massacre at Srebrenica with a slim majority early Wednesday morning. The resolution "strongly condemns" the atrocity that took place during the Bosnian war. Lawmakers expressed "their condolences and an apology to the families of the victims because not everything possible was done to prevent the tragedy."
In 1995, fanatic Serbians murdered around 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys in the city of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia. A small contingent of Dutch peacekeepers assigned to protect the city, a United Nations "safe area," did little to stop the incursion and killings conducted by Bosnian Serb soldiers. The massacre is considered the worst war crime to be perpetrated in Europe since World War II. The bodies of the victims were later found in mass graves.
With the resolution, parliament broke years of silence in Serbian politics over the atrocity. The resolution stops short, however, of describing the massacre as "genocide," as it has been labelled by the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is currently facing war crimes charges at ICTY. However, former Serbian General Ratko Mladic -- the other man believed to be responsible for the massacre -- remains at large....