(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 12 - Tension between Serbia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The adoption of the resolution was met with fierce opposition
from the Serbian government and the leaders of Serbs from BiH,
who keep downplaying the atrocity and refuse to recognise it as
genocide.
The president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, who traveled
specifically to New York for the vote, harshly attacked the
text, arguing that, far from bringing reconciliation between
Bosniaks and Serbs in BiH, it will "open Pandora's box" and
foster "a division and a regional crisis in the Balkans".
Last April, the Parliament of the Republika Srpska, one of the
two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted a
document denying the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, which has been
acknowledged as documented and proven by the ICTY.
The document also asserts that the victims of the massacre were
not civilians, as the The Hague court considered proven, but
rather "prisoners of war", and estimates their number at
"between 1,500 and 2,000, at most 3,000" (compared to the 8,000
determined by the judges in The Hague).
Contrasting views within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide on July 11 is not
officially conducted at the state level in Bosnia and
Herzegovina due to deep political divisions within the country.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Council of Ministers of
Bosnia and Herzegovina did not decide to declare July 11 a day
of mourning. This proposal was rejected due to the veto rights
of the deputy chairman from the entity of Republika Srpska.
The National Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted a statement
protesting the UN Resolution, and the president of that entity,
Milorad Dodik, said that the approval of the resolution would
cause irreparable damage and "mark the end of BiH". He
threatened that Republika Srpska, where Srebrenica is located,
would secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the other hand, numerous local and international officials
highlight the importance of commemorating the Srebrenica
genocide, as it serves as a reminder of the ongoing commitment
to building a safer and fairer future for all.
EU warns: "No place" in the Union for those who deny the
Srebrenica massacre.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs,
Josep Borrell, and Commissioner for Neighborhood and
Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, issued a joint statement on the
genocide anniversary.
"The Srebrenica genocide is one of the darkest moments in modern
European history. We call on leaders to reject divisive rhetoric
and work towards truth, justice, trust, and dialogue," they
wrote in the joint statement on Tuesday. Both said that "there
is no place" in the EU for those who deny the Srebrenica
genocide, try to "rewrite the history" and "glorify war
criminals".
They also recalled that the EU leaders' agreement to open
membership talks for Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 2024 is a
"key opportunity" for the country to "advance reforms" that will
strengthen democracy.
"We reiterate our unequivocal commitment to the future of Bosnia
and Herzegovina in the EU as a single, united and sovereign
country," they added.
Furthermore, the European Commission, asked on Tuesday in a
press conference about the "possibility of suspending" the
negotiations with Serbia if the country's authorities opposed
the condemnation of the genocide, affirmed possible
repercussions on the respective evaluations for accession.
"If someone acts against the EU principles and basic criteria,
this will be reflected in the Commission's recommendations or in
the decisions of the Member States when deciding the steps to
follow for that specific country," said a spokesperson for the
European Commission.
European leaders further highlighted that "healing the wounds of
the past" requires "recognizing and teaching historical facts,
honoring and remembering the victims, identifying those still
missing and bringing all perpetrators to justice".
At the conference about genocide in Sarajevo ahead of the 29th
anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, Slovenia's President
Nataša Pirc Musar stressed that the international community has
a duty to stop genocidal acts. The president said this is
important not only because of the atrocities that took place in
Srebrenica but also because of the atrocities caused by the
broken promise of "never again" around the world.
Pirc Musar called for continuous efforts to recognise and
prevent genocidal acts and preserve human dignity for all,
referring to the situation in Gaza. "What is going on in Gaza is
a defeat of humanity. Politicians must stop looking away and
must act against genocidal behaviour."
(The content is based on news by agencies participating in the
enr, in this case AFP, ANSA, BTA, dpa, EFE, FENA, STA, Tanjug).
(ANSA).