San Francisco (Obama.net)- In 1995, in the town of Srebrenica, Bosnia, over seven thousand males were murdered. Every single one of the men and boys were Muslim. And each was killed by Bosnian troops.
At the time, most of the powers of the world and the rest of the international community remained silent. No one came to the rescue of the men and boys in Srebrenica and simple stayed quit as thousands of people were being killed. The total number dead was the largest number in all of Europe since the days of the tragic World War II.
Sunday, a few hundred of the men and boys killed in the genocide were laid to rest just outside of the town of Srebrenica, Bosnia. In the Potocari cemetery, a grand total of 775 bodies now lay in peace after finally being identified fifteen years later.
The President of the United States of America Barack Obama did not let the tragedy go unnoticed one more time. President Barack Obama made sure to let the people of Europe understand that the United States feels guilt for the terrible killings.
Obama called the murders “a stain on our collective conscience.” Obama made it clear that the powers of the world, including the United States of America, have to live knowing that they stood by silently as this horrific event occurred and nothing was done by anyone to stop it, despite the ability to do so.
The burial ceremony was attended by numerous European heads of states and the former presidents of every single Yugoslav republic in history. Those attendees heard the ever-important words of President Obama that “there can be no lasting peace without justice.” Obama then addressed how that justice he is seeking can be found.
The President of the United States of America is demanding “the prosecution and arrest of those that carried out the genocide” and “this includes Ratko Mladic who presided over the killings and remains at large.”
Justice has come to a small degree for the families and loves ones of the men and boys killed in 1995. Boris Tadic, the current president of Serbia was present at the memorial. In addition, this March saw the parliament of Serbia officially apologize for the genocide. The government stood by as the genocide took place and did nothing to stop it and it has been criticized for its lack of action for years.
President Tadic did make a promise to the citizens of his nation to find the criminals responsible for the murders and bring them to justice via the courts. He expressed, “As the president of Serbia, I will not give up the search for remaining culprits and by this I first of all mean for Ratko Mladic.” Mladic was the general in charge of the military when the slaughters occurred and he has been hiding from authorities for a decade and a half.
With the support of the United States of America and President Barack Obama, as well as the entire European Union, the citizens of Srebrenica can be certain that the search for justice will be intense and that it will be brought to those responsible for the genocide. With the work of President Obama, combined with Serbian officials, justice can be expected to be brought in the near future.
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