Abstract:

During the war in Bosnia, although the Serbs seized many places, they were not able to take Srebrenica itself. From May 1992 onwards, Bosnian government forces under the leadership of Naser Orić managed to control largely Musliminhabited Srebrenica enclave. The Bosnian Serb authorities remained intent on capturing the enclave, which, because of its proximity to the Serbian border and because it was entirely surrounded by Serb-controlled territory, was both strategically important and the biggest barrier on the way to Belgrade. Although the enclave was on the verge of starvation and ammunition began to cease, the city was defended by Naser Orić’s troops. For a long time, UN and NATO resisted to take necessary steps to protect the Bosniacs in the town. Eventually, the plight of the city prompted the UN Security Counsil to declare Srebrenica as “safe area.” However, this decision did not stop the fall of Srebrenica on 11thJuly 1995 and the coming genocide. While the principal perpetrators accused of this genocide, including Radovan Karadžić and General Ratko Mladić, roamed around Bosnia for years after they had committed their atrocities, Naser Orić, who used to command the Bosnian Muslim military forces in Srebrenica, has been transferred to The Hague where he appeared before the ICTY to answer charges of war crimes. He is still under trial for different accusitions. So, the true story of Srebrenica Genocide and the policy of European countries will be reviewed in this article by use of Naser Orić’s story

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