Serbs Oppose U.N. Resolution Commemorating Srebrenica Genocide

A U.N. resolution sponsored by Germany and Rwanda to establish an annual day commemorating the 1995 genocide of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serbs has sparked opposition from Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and the Bosnian Serb leadership. The resolution, which designates July 11 as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenca,” has faced strong lobbying against its adoption.

Although the draft does not mention Serbs as culprits, President Vucic and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik have claimed it brands all Serbs as a “genocidal nation”. Despite the opposition, the resolution condemns “without reservation any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as a historical event” and actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes. However, Hungary and Russia have declared their intention to vote against the resolution, while the U.S. has emphasized the importance of commemorating historical truths to foster reconciliation in the region.