Europees Parlement wil wereldwijde herdenking van genocide Srebrenica (en)

In July 1995, the Bosnian town of Srebrenica fell into the hands of Serbian militias leading to "several days of carnage". In a resolution adopted by 556 votes to 9 with 22 abstentions, the European Parliament calls on the Council and Commission to commemorate appropriately the anniversary of the Srebrenica-Potocari act of genocide by supporting the European Parliament's recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration throughout the EU.

After the fall of Srebrenica , Bosnian Serb forces, commanded by General Ratko Mladic, and paramilitary units rapidly executed more than 8 000 Muslim men and boys, who had sought safety in the area. Moreover, nearly 25 000 women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported, "making this event the biggest war crime to take place in Europe since the end of the Second World War".

Tragedy a symbol of international impotence

Declared an act of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the tragedy took place in a UN-proclaimed safe haven, making it "a symbol of the impotence of the international community to intervene in the conflict and protect the civilian population," the EP says.

Urging all countries, including those of the western Balkans, to do the same, (Parliament commemorates and honours all the victims of the atrocities during the wars in the former Yugoslavia and expresses its condolences to and solidarity with the families of the victims, many of whom are living without final confirmation of the fate of their fathers, sons, husbands or brothers.

An important step towards peace and stability

In view of the fact that General Ratko Mladic is still at large almost 14 years after the tragic events, Parliament also demands that further efforts be made to bring the remaining fugitives to justice, stressing that bringing to justice those responsible for the massacres in and around Srebrenica is an important step towards peace and stability in the region.

The EP stresses that reconciliation is an important part of the European integration process, a process in which the religious communities, the media and the education system play a significant role.