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'Genocide' divides ahead of Srebrenica anniversary

July 9, 2015

As the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre draws near, tensions are mounting whether to call the killings "genocide." Russia vetoed a proposal at the UNSC while the US House called it "genocide" in a resolution.

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Bosnien und Herzegowina Stadtansicht Srebrenica
Image: DW/M. Sekulic

The US House of Representatives passed a resolution marking the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre on Wednesday, in which more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were mass murdered by Bosnian Serb forces on July 11, 1995.

"The House of Representatives affirms that the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing as implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, meet the terms defining the crime of genocide in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," stated the resolution.

The chamber had previously deemed the massacre genocide ten years ago. However, the lawmakers favored on Wednesday the new resolution, which mentions the word "genocide" at least 14 times within the text.

The US House of Representatives' decision comes amid Russia's veto of a British-proposed UN resolution at the Security Council that also called the massacre "genocide."

Bosnien Srebrenica Massaker Grabsteine
More than 8,000 Muslim men and women were killed at a UN-protected site in SrebrenicaImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Sulejman Omerbasic

While Angola, China, Nigeria and Venezuela abstained from the vote at the UN Security Council, Russia - a permanent member - used its veto power after reportedly being lobbied by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to block the resolution.

However, Russia's act was criticized, most notably by the US and the UK, which had proposed the resolution.

"The United Kingdom is outraged that Russia has vetoed this resolution today. Russia's action tarnishes the memory of all those who died in the Srebrenica genocide. Russia will have to justify its decision to the families of over 8,000 people, murdered in the worst atrocity in Europe since the Second World War," said Peter Wilson, deputy UK ambassador to the UN, following Russia's veto.

A ceremony marking the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre is expected to be held at the site where the mass murder - deemed Europe's worst atrocity since World War II - occurred 20 years ago, towards the end of the Bosnian War.

The US delegation will be led by former President Bill Clinton, who held the office during the massacre. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to visit the site on July 9 after meeting with Bosnian Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic.

ls/jil (AP, AFP, dpa, EFE, Reuters)