ConflictEurope

Srebrenica

Jul 11, 1995

Over 8,000 killed in an area the UN had declared safe

In depth

Both the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice have found that the killings constituted genocide. The Dutch government resigned in 2002 after an inquiry into its force's role. Identification of victims through DNA from mass graves continues decades later, and has become a model for such work elsewhere.

For children

Srebrenica had been declared a safe area by the UN, with Dutch troops present. In July 1995 the town was taken anyway, and over eight thousand men and boys were killed. It is the worst mass killing in Europe since the Second World War.

Sources

ICTY: Prosecutor v. Krstić (IT-98-33-T), dom 2. aug. 2001
ICJ: Bosnia-Hercegovina mot Serbia, dom 26. feb. 2007

Connects to

The Yugoslav WarsJul 2, 1991 – Dec 17, 1995
The genocide in RwandaApr 9, 1994 – Jul 13, 1994
The United Nations is foundedOct 24, 1945
The International Criminal CourtJul 1998
The structure of DNAApr 25, 1953

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