| 1. | PROLOGUE |
| 2. | BACKGROUND |
| 3. | BSA OFFENSIVE ON THE SAFE ZONE |
| 3.1. | The Setting |
| 3.2. | July 6th, 1995 |
| 3.3. | July 7th, 1995 |
| 3.4. | July 8th, 1995 |
| 3.5. | July 9th, 1995 |
| 3.6. | July 10th, 1995 |
| 4. | THE FALL OF SREBRENICA SAFE ZONE |
| 5. | EXECUTIONS |
| 6. | MASS GRAVES |
| 7. | HAGUE TRIBUNAL |
| 8. | PERCEPTIONS |
| 9. | REFERENCES |
| 1. | PROLOGUE |
| 2. | BACKGROUND |
| 3. | BSA OFFENSIVE ON THE SAFE ZONE |
| 3.1. | The Setting |
| 3.2. | July 6th, 1995 |
| 3.3. | July 7th, 1995 |
| 3.4. | July 8th, 1995 |
| 3.5. | July 9th, 1995 |
| 3.6. | July 10th, 1995 |
| 4. | THE FALL OF SREBRENICA SAFE ZONE |
| 5. | EXECUTIONS |
| 6. | MASS GRAVES |
| 7. | HAGUE TRIBUNAL |
| 8. | PERCEPTIONS |
| 9. | REFERENCES |
3.5.
July 9th, 1995
BSA Offensive on the Safe Zone
Telephone conversation
The UNPROFOR Commander’s Chief of Staff → BSA General Zdravko Tolimir
The UNPROFOR Commander insisted that the UN soldiers being held in Bratunac should be allowed to return to Potocari. General Tolimir responded that he would convey the “proposal” to his subordinates on the ground.
UNPROFOR report
“Swedish Shelter Project”
The estimated 3,000 residents of the “Swedish Shelter Project”, located near the southern perimeter of the enclave, began fleeing towards Srebrenica town.
UNPROFOR report
The Bosnian Serb Army began to attack UN observation post “Kilo” in the south of the enclave.
Telephone conversation
The UNPROFOR Commander’s Chief of Staff → BSA General Zdravko Tolimir
The UNPROFOR Commander’s Chief of Staff expressed that he considered this to be an attack on the “safe area” and said that UNPROFOR would be forced to defend it with all means.
Telephone conversation
Sarajevo - UNPROFOR Commander → Zagreb - UN Secretary General’s Special Representative
It was decided that the Dutch battalion should establish a blocking position against the Bosnian Serb Army forces’ approach to the town. In connection with this, the acting UN Commander in Sarajevo forwarded to the UNPROFOR Command in Zagreb a written request for close air support.
Warning - Telephone conversation
The UNPROFOR Commander’s Chief of Staff → BSA General Zdravko Tolimir
The UNPROFOR Commander’s Chief of Staff demanded that the Bosnian Serb Army offensive on Srebrenica be stopped, that the Bosnian Serb Army withdraw to the enclave boundary, and that the Bosnian Serb Army also immediately release all Dutch battalion personnel and their equipment.
The International Community and Srebrenica
“The UN report published in 1999 said, and I quote: 'the logical consequence of the shortcomings of the UN force, the structural flaws of its mandate and of the definition of 'safe area', as well as shortcomings and misjudgement within the UN’s military chain of command,' caused the enclave’s fall.“
- Florence Hartmann, Author and Independent Researcher
Dutch battalion – Srebrenica
As the arrangements for the provision of close air support were being made, the Dutch battalion Commander, who had earlier favoured its use, changed his assessment in view of the extent to which the Bosnian Serb Army had now advanced.
Intent and Denial
“Radovan Karadzic, who is also accused* for genocide in Bosnia, did not hide his genocidal intent. There are many instances in which he shared his intent in conversation with his close allies. In October 1991, for example, he told his brother that ‘there will be a war until their obliteration’ and that his plan is ‘to first kill all of the leaders of Bosnian Muslims'.“
- Dr Edina Becirevic, University of Sarajevo
NOTE: The Public Lecture was held in Sarajevo on May 28th, 2015. The judgement of the Trial Chamber against Radovan Karadzic was passed on March 24th 2016.
President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadzic
New objective 12/46-501/95
Late on July 9th, President Radovan Karadzic issued a new order giving the Drina Corps the green light to take the town of Srebrenica.
The Role of the UN
“I would join two or three officers - not Dutch, these were from various countries in the world – I joined them on those trips and the people who lived around the observation posts – I was translating from Bosnian to English - they would ask the question: ‘What will happen if the Serbs launch an attack?’ These observers would show up to the sky and answer: ‘Well, within 5, 10 or 15 minutes upon our call - the call of the United Nations – there would be NATO planes. They would just fly from the NATO base in Italy and it takes a few minutes for those mighty war machines to destroy any attacking force on the ground. You are safe. You are under the protection of the United Nations and NATO.“
- Hasan Nuhanovic, MA, Expert Researcher, Srebrenica Survivor