United Nations Passes Resolution to Commemorate Victims of 'Srebrenica Genocide'

On Thursday, the United Nations passed a resolution by a majority vote, dedicating a day each year to commemorate over 8,000 Bosniak Muslims who were killed by Bosnian Serbs in 1995. The resolution was adopted with 84 votes in favor, 19 against, and 68 abstentions in the UN General Assembly, which has 193 members; this reflects concerns from some countries regarding the impact of this vote on reconciliation efforts in Bosnia. According to the adopted resolution, July 11 is designated as 'International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.' The victims of this tragedy will be annually honored on this day starting in two months. The resolution faced strong opposition from Serbs, who fear it may label them as 'supporters of genocide.' The resolution, presented by Germany and Rwanda, does not name Serbs as perpetrators; however, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik worked hard to prevent its adoption. After the vote, Vučić stated that all those involved in the Srebrenica massacre have been imprisoned, and the only aim of the resolution is to impose 'moral and political guilt on one side,' namely the people of Serbia and the Republika Srpska. Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's representative at the UN, described the adoption of the proposed resolution as 'a costly victory for its supporters' and stated that if their goal was 'to divide the General Assembly... then they have succeeded brilliantly.' The adoption of this resolution was welcomed by Željko Komšić, a Croat member of the Bosnia presidency, by families of Srebrenica massacre victims, and by many Western and Muslim countries. On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serbs attacked the UN-protected safe area in Srebrenica, separating and killing at least 8,000 Bosniak men and boys from their wives, mothers, and sisters. The Srebrenica massacre was the climax of the bloody Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995.