EU "firmly" rejects any denial of Srebrenica genocide

BRUSSELS, July 11 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) acknowledged Friday its historical responsibility for "failure to prevent and stop the genocide" committed in the town of Srebrenica in 1995, reiterating commitment to preserving the truth and its firm rejection of any attempt to deny or distort history.
In a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the massacre, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "We acknowledge our past and recognise our responsibility for failing to prevent and stop the genocide", adding "We will also never allow history to be rewritten." Von der Leyen stressed that the European Union "firmly rejects and condemns any denial, distortion or minimisation of the Srebrenica genocide as well as the glorification of war criminals." "Some events in history cast a shadow that stretches across generations. The genocide in Srebrenica is one of them", she stated, noting that it stands among the darkest chapters in Europeآ’s collective memory.
"Thirty years have passed since these atrocities. Today, I want to pay tribute to the more than 8,300 Bosniak boys and men who were killed and those who are still missing", she said. "As some of the last victims of Srebrenica are buried in dignity, I also honour the mothers, wives and daughters who continue to grieve, carrying the weight of loss through three decades." Von der Leyen affirmed that "it is our duty to remember and to preserve the truth, so that future generations know exactly what happened." She explained that "victims were systematically executed and buried in mass graves within the UN-designated آ‘safe areaآ’ of Srebrenica, a town they believed would protect them in the brutal war that was ravaging Bosnia and Herzegovina." She added, "The European Union will never forget what happened in this town," stressing that "political leaders have a great responsibility in that regard, in particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the Western Balkans." She called on those leaders "to lead by example in acknowledging the established facts and genuinely honouring the victims" and "to actively work towards reconciliation by confronting the roots of hatred that led to these atrocities." Von der Leyen addressed a message to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina saying "The European Union stands with you. We remain fully committed to supporting your country on its path toward EU membership. Your political leaders should do their part so your country can find its place at the heart of our Union, where it belongs." The Srebrenica massacre occurred in 1995, when Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica, which at the time was designated a UN safe area. The United Nations has officially recognised it as a genocide. Approximately 1,000 victims remain unidentified and are still awaiting identification. (end) arn.mt