The Srebrenica Massacre is undoubtedly one of the bloodiest events to occur after World War II. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Bosnian War emerged, characterized not only as a political conflict but also as an ethnic one. The town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, designated as a “safe” area by the United Nations (UN), was the site of this catastrophe.
Despite being declared a safe zone by the UN, Serbian soldiers entered the town on July 11, 1995, and massacred over eight thousand people. The UN Peacekeeping Forces’ inaction in the face of this atrocity sparked significant international outcry, leading to widespread criticism and condemnation. In the following years, the perpetrators of this massacre were tried and sentenced by the International Criminal Court, the UN’s judicial body. Although the International Court of Justice labeled the massacre as “genocide” in 2007, it did not hold Serbia accountable.[1] Regarding the latest development concerning the Srebrenica Massacre, the UN has declared July 11th as the ‘Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day’ with a decision taken on May 23, 2024.
For many years, Serbia pursued a policy of denying the genocide it committed and protecting war criminals. However, the biggest obstacle it faced in the process of joining the European Union was the Srebrenica Massacre. With the start of EU membership negotiations, Serbia began to show a more cooperative attitude towards the prosecution of war criminals. In 2013, Serbian Prime Minister Tomislav Nikolovic described the Srebrenica massacre as a “crime” and apologized. However, at the same time, he also stated that it was not a genocide.[2] Apologizing for this massacre, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, merely by characterizing it as a crime and treating it as an ordinary situation, has been the softest stance Serbia could take before the international public opinion regarding the Srebrenica massacre.
On June 2, 2024, local elections will take place in Serbia. Prior to this, the UN declared July 11th as the day of remembrance for the genocide. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksander Vučić, prior to the UN’s decision, claimed that Serbs were not genocidal, but rather people fighting for their own honor. Other government officials share Vučić’s views. This rhetoric has also been a significant element of the election campaign to appeal to extreme nationalist groups. In a public meeting as part of the election campaign, he stated that he would go to New York to defend his country against the draft resolution of the UN. From all these statements, it can be understood that Serbia does not hold itself responsible for the genocide. By claiming to fight for their own honor, Serbia seeks to legitimize a genocide that resulted in the slaughter of eight thousand people, which occurred in an area designated as a safe zone by the UN.
While the Serbian government awaited the decision of the UN General Assembly with Serbian flags, Vučić wrapped himself in the Serbian flag at the UN General Assembly and shared a photo on social media with the caption “I am proud of my Serbia.” Additionally, convoys with Serbian flags were organized in the streets of Belgrade and in North Mitrovica, where Serbs are the majority.[3] The Serbian Orthodox Church has called on all believers to pray and all churches to ring their bells in response to the baseless accusations made by the UN. All of this clearly demonstrates the influence of extreme nationalism and populist rhetoric in Serbia. The pain endured in Srebrenica has been manipulated to serve extreme nationalist narratives and has become material for the election campaign. Moreover, the recent decision of the UN does not directly accuse Serbia of genocide.[4]
Serbia is currently in the process of joining the EU. Although in 2019 the European Commission proposed starting accession negotiations, no progress has been made yet. For genuine progress to be achieved, Serbia needs to abandon its extreme nationalist rhetoric and come to terms with its past before meeting the EU’s criteria. As perhaps the country with the sharpest nationalist rhetoric in the Balkans, Serbia’s extremism also contributes to insecurity in the region.
The pains of the Srebrenica Genocide, which occurred 29 years ago, still haunt our memories. The UN failed to provide peace and security “in accordance with its purposes and principles” during the Srebrenica Genocide. In the following years, trials were conducted at the International Criminal Tribunal, and perpetrators were punished, allowing the UN to, in a way, attempt to cleanse its hands of blood. However, the UN cannot directly accuse the responsible state of genocide. This is likely due to Russia vetoing the UN’s draft resolution on the Srebrenica genocide in 2015.
All of this has led to questioning the structure and function of the UN. The decisions it makes, particularly under pressure from the Security Council’s veto, are doubted in terms of whether they truly deliver justice. By indirectly declaring July 11th as the day of remembrance for the genocide, the UN has attempted to, in a way, seek justice. But how much does justice delivered after 29 years alleviate people’s suffering or make the perpetrators less guilty? At least for Srebrenica, the perpetrators have been punished, albeit belatedly, and July 11th has become the day to commemorate the genocide.
Today, we can say “at least” for Srebrenica. As evident from the recent decision of the UN, many countries around the world can comfortably say that Serbia had a share in this genocide. But unfortunately, we all witness that for Palestine, which has witnessed an even greater massacre than Srebrenica, the UN is lacking even a “at least” stance. Even after 29 years, it is doubtful whether the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine will be labeled as “genocide.” What is the reason for this? Is it because those responsible are not being called out with “peace of mind”? Or is it the United Nations system we are in?
[1] “Srebrenitsa Soykırımı: Sürece Nasıl Gelindi? Neler Yaşandı?”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2021/07/10/srebrenitsa-soykirimi-surece-nasil-gelindi-neler-yasandi, (Date of Access: 29.05.2024).
[2] “Serbian president apologises for Srebrenica ‘crime’”, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-22297089, (Date of Access: 30.05.2024).
[3] Kosova’nın Mitroviça bölgesinde bulunan bir kasaba ve belediyedir.
[4] Marija Stojanıvić, “Serbian government uses UN resolution on Srebrenica for a pre-election nationalist frenzy”, European Western Balkans, https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2024/05/24/serbian-government-uses-un-resolution-on-srebrenica-for-a-pre-election-nationalist-frenzy/, (Date of Access: 30.05.2024).
