Why was srebrenica only considered genocide & not the entire nation?
What condones something as a genocide? I asked myself this question multiple times while doing research on why the war between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia that led into a mass murder of Bosnian- Muslims was just considered a mere "massacre" in one city and not the entire nation.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located on the southeast peninsula of the Balkans in Europe formally a part of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia a communalistic federation was built upon six republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia up until 1991 when Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Come 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared their independence from former Yugoslavia housing around four million people, 44% of the 4 million were Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks), 31% Bosnian Serbs and 17% Croatians. Bosnia and Herzegovina being a predominantly Muslim country and bordering Serbia caused the Serbian Republic under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic to declare an “ethnic cleansing” of Bosniaks and create a “greater Serbia". The genocide took place from 1992-1995 resulting in the mass murder of 200,000 Bosniaks.
Although murdering nearly 1/3 of the population, this was not considered a "true genocide". It's evident that this was a form of "ethnic cleansing" and if we go back to the definition of what is considered to be genocide, it meets the circumstances. It blows my mind how such ignorance still occurs where it's evident that such a tragedy took place and the world is just choosing to disregard it.
Srebrenica is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina that borders Serbia, marking the easiest way Serbian forces could invade Bosnia which later led to a mass massacre of 8,372 Bosnian Muslims in the summer of July 1995 in a time span of 72 hours alone naming it to be the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II.
Throughout the court cases, Serbian officials set out counter arguments that it was an "inevitable civil war" while Bosnian officials argued that it indeed was an act of exterminating an entire nation. To this day Bosnian Muslims are fighting for the world and for Serbia to admit that this act was indeed genocide. On February 2007, the International Court of Justice rendered its judgment after 14 years of the initial request of Bosnian government officials concluding that “Genocide was perpetrated in Bosnia by the Bosnian Serb armed forces, but solely in the town of Srebrenica in July 1995, that Serbia was neither responsible for the commission of that genocide nor complicit in it, but that it was responsible for failing to prevent and for failing to punish its perpetrators.” Therefore, leaving the country of Bosnia & Herzegovina in utter despair and ruined by Serbian armed forces to this day.
What do you think? Does Bosnia & Herzegovina qualify as a nation that was struck by genocide?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located on the southeast peninsula of the Balkans in Europe formally a part of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia a communalistic federation was built upon six republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia up until 1991 when Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Come 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared their independence from former Yugoslavia housing around four million people, 44% of the 4 million were Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks), 31% Bosnian Serbs and 17% Croatians. Bosnia and Herzegovina being a predominantly Muslim country and bordering Serbia caused the Serbian Republic under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic to declare an “ethnic cleansing” of Bosniaks and create a “greater Serbia". The genocide took place from 1992-1995 resulting in the mass murder of 200,000 Bosniaks.
Although murdering nearly 1/3 of the population, this was not considered a "true genocide". It's evident that this was a form of "ethnic cleansing" and if we go back to the definition of what is considered to be genocide, it meets the circumstances. It blows my mind how such ignorance still occurs where it's evident that such a tragedy took place and the world is just choosing to disregard it.
Srebrenica is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina that borders Serbia, marking the easiest way Serbian forces could invade Bosnia which later led to a mass massacre of 8,372 Bosnian Muslims in the summer of July 1995 in a time span of 72 hours alone naming it to be the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II.
Throughout the court cases, Serbian officials set out counter arguments that it was an "inevitable civil war" while Bosnian officials argued that it indeed was an act of exterminating an entire nation. To this day Bosnian Muslims are fighting for the world and for Serbia to admit that this act was indeed genocide. On February 2007, the International Court of Justice rendered its judgment after 14 years of the initial request of Bosnian government officials concluding that “Genocide was perpetrated in Bosnia by the Bosnian Serb armed forces, but solely in the town of Srebrenica in July 1995, that Serbia was neither responsible for the commission of that genocide nor complicit in it, but that it was responsible for failing to prevent and for failing to punish its perpetrators.” Therefore, leaving the country of Bosnia & Herzegovina in utter despair and ruined by Serbian armed forces to this day.
What do you think? Does Bosnia & Herzegovina qualify as a nation that was struck by genocide?
"Mostar Bosnian War." Www.telegraph.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Ahrem,Jael. Rawa, Al Anbar, Iraq, 29 October 2006, Flicker,Creative Commons license.Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
NightwindsetCivil War, Bosnian War, War Refugees, War 1992 1995, War Ii, Bosnian Civil Www.121clicks.com.n.d.Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Sim, David. "Srebrenica Massacre: Anniversary of 1995 Genocide Carried Out by Serb Forces During Bosnian.Web.War." Http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/. IBTimes Co., Ltd, 10 July 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Ahrem,Jael. Rawa, Al Anbar, Iraq, 29 October 2006, Flicker,Creative Commons license.Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
NightwindsetCivil War, Bosnian War, War Refugees, War 1992 1995, War Ii, Bosnian Civil Www.121clicks.com.n.d.Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Sim, David. "Srebrenica Massacre: Anniversary of 1995 Genocide Carried Out by Serb Forces During Bosnian.Web.War." Http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/. IBTimes Co., Ltd, 10 July 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.