Qatar Backs UN Resolution Recognizing Srebrenica Massacre as Genocide

Qatar has announced its support for a United Nations resolution that would commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as a genocide. The draft resolution, initiated by Germany and Rwanda, seeks to establish July 11 as an international day of remembrance for the over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War.

Why this matters: The recognition of the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide has significant implications forinternational law and accountability, setting a precedent for addressing similar atrocities worldwide. Moreover, it underscores the importance of acknowledging and learning from past tragedies to prevent future human rights abuses.

The massacre has been deemed genocide by various verdicts of both the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). More than 50 individuals have been sentenced to some 700 years in prison for their roles in the Srebrenica genocide.

However, the resolution has faced opposition from leaders of Bosnia's Serb entity Republika Srpska and Serbia. Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska's Russia-friendly leader, has threatened to withdraw from the decision-making process in Bosnia if the resolution is adopted. "The actions of the Republika Srpska Army in Srebrenica in 1995 were a mistake that left the crime, but I deny it was genocide," Dodik stated.

Russia's envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, has also dismissed the resolution as "one-sided and politically charged," arguing that it "would not promote reconciliation among the peoples of Bosnia Herzegovina."

The resolution has sparked further controversy within the diplomatic community. Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, Yahel Vilan, stated that the Srebrenica massacre was not a genocide, which was condemned by Bosnian officials and Jewish community leaders. Bosnian Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković called Vilan's remarks "shameful" and "insulting to the victims and survivors of the genocide in Srebrenica." Emir Suljagic, director of the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial and a massacre survivor, described the comments as "intellectually dishonest" and "morally questionable."

The resolution is expected to be put to a vote in the UN General Assembly in early May 2024. Qatar's support for the resolution recognizing the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide adds to the growinginternational consensuson the tragic event. As the 29th anniversary of the massacre approaches, the world remembers one of the darkest chapters in Europe's modern history and the importance of preventing such atrocities from happening again.

Key Takeaways

• Qatar supports UN resolution recognizing 1995 Srebrenica massacre as genocide.
• Resolution seeks to establish July 11 as international day of remembrance.
• Over 50 individuals sentenced to 700+ years in prison for Srebrenica genocide.
• Republika Srpska and Serbia leaders oppose resolution, deny genocide label.
• Resolution to be voted on in UN General Assembly in early May 2024.