The Bosnian War had ended and peace process had started. During the three-year long war, a score of Bosnians, including men and women of all ages, were killed, women were raped, houses and temples were burned down, and clashes, cold weathers, hunger and torture paralyzed life in Bosnia. Bosnian Muslims hadnt predicted that Serbians would attack them in the heart of Europe and the international community would allow it. However, a brutal and relentless war and massacre broke out.
Place: Srebrenica-Bosnia
The Bosnian War had ended and peace process had started. During the three-year long war, a score of Bosnians, including men and women of all ages, were killed, women were raped, houses and temples were burned down, and clashes, cold weathers, hunger and torture paralyzed life in Bosnia. Bosnian Muslims hadnt predicted that Serbians would attack them in the heart of Europe and the international community would allow it. However, a brutal and relentless war and massacre broke out.
The United Nations took a number of decisions regarding Bosnia during the war. The decisions numbered 819 and 824 called for creation of Safe Zone in certain regions of Bosnia. UN Protection forces would be deployed to the proposed Safe Zones and Bosnians living in these regions would be in safety. However, the definition and two-year duration of Safe Zone made it an unsafe area. Nevertheless, they were the only safe place to seek shelter in for Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in July 1995, but Srebrenica Muslims were entrapped in the Safe Zone and faced a brutal massacre.
Srebrenica was one of the regions declared Safe Zone. Muslims were majority in the town and its population was about 30,000 including those who fled to the town from neighboring areas. Residents of the town faced siege and bombardment throughout the war and a score of them, mostly children, died in the forests surrounding the town in the winter due to lack of water, food and medication. Dutch troops were policing the region since 1993 at a camp in the Potocari village, where factories were located. Dutch troops called on Bosnians to hand over their arms, which they possessed to protect themselves, to UN forces since the region was declared Safe Zone. Bosnians said they shouldnt hand over their arms and if they did so they wouldnt be able to protect themselves. However, when they asked whether UN troops would protect them against Serbians, who were waiting around the town to launch an attack, UN officials at the camp assured they would protect them against Serbians. On the contrary, no sanctions were imposed on Serbians, while Bosnians were stripped of their protection and were made a vulnerable target for attack. Mladic-led Serbians besieged Srebrenica on July 6, 2007. They shelled the town with heavy weaponry and burned down residents in masses in houses. They killed everybody they encountered in town either with guns or knives. Gen. Bernard Janvier, French commander of the United Nations Protection Force, rejected all demands to conduct air strikes in order to prevent the massacre.
Meanwhile, someone could report incidents to Aliya Izzetbegovic with a wireless: Everything is over Mr. President. Serbs besieged Srebrenica. They are burning down the whole town. They are gathering people in houses and burn them. Safe Zones are traps. Srebrenica is down. Dropping the wireless off his hand in a distressed mood, Izzetbegovic asked his companions to get in touch with UN and NATO officials and informed Muslims countries, particularly Turkey. Meanwhile, thousands of people were fleeing to nearby mountains and forests and some were seeking shelter in the UN camp. About 6,000 people had entered the camp, while the wounded had took shelter in factories. Ratko Mladic reached Potocari Camp on July 11, 2007 and demanded Dutch troops to hand over all Bosnians; unfortunately, all Bosnians were handed over to Serbs without firing a bullet and any resistance. Mladic launched
Rating: User: deutsche 2007-09-12T20:35:43.267Z
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Serbs | Srebrenica | turkey | mladic | turks | bosniaks | bosnier | genocide | massacre | serbien | zone | bosnian | muslim | Izzetbegovic |