4.1.
July 11th, 1995
The Fall of Srebrenica Safe Zone
Bunker
When the expected NATO air support failed to come, the Dutch battalion commander renewed his request twice, but to no avail. Lacking approval from the UNPROFOR high command, NATO airplanes flying over Bosnia since 6.00 am had to return to Italy for refueling.
UNPROFOR report
BSA attack on UN positions
The Bosnian Serb Army resumed their attack with direct fire on Dutch positions and began shelling observation posts “Mike” and “November”.
UNPROFOR report
Flight to the UN Base in Potocari
The residents of Srebrenica began to flee northwards in the direction of the UN base in Potocari.
BSA → Dutch Battalion
Halt to NATO strikes
The Bosnian Serb Army radioed a message to the Dutch battalion and threatened to shell the town and the UN compound where thousands of inhabitants had begun to gather, and to kill the Dutch battalion soldiers held hostage since the capture of their observation posts, if NATO continued with its use of air power.
NATO strikes
The Netherlands Minister of Defense requested that the close air support action be discontinued, because Serb soldiers on the scene were too close to the Dutch troops. The message was passed to NATO accordingly and the air action was halted.
Fall of Srebrenica
On July 11th and 12th, 1995 the Srebrenica enclave was captured by the joint forces of the Bosnian Serb Army and the Ministry of Interior.
The invading Serb forces took control of the town. General Ratko Mladic and other officers triumphantly entered Srebrenica and strolled through its empty streets.
Intent and Denial
“Ratko Mladic is the general who is on trial* for genocide in the Hague and not only for genocide in Srebrenica, but in other municipalities as well. On May 12th 1992, after Krajisnik read those six strategic goals, Mladic warned both of them, Krajisnik and Karadzic, that this goal cannot be implemented without committing genocide. Do not have any illusions. Mladic did not have moral concerns about it. He was only worried about how Karadzic and Krajisnik would explain that to the world and what would the world say for their actions and weather that would provoke military intervention.“
- Dr Edina Becirevic, University of Sarajevo
NOTE: The Public Lecture was held in Sarajevo on May 28th, 2015. The judgment of the Trial Chamber against Ratko Mladic was passed on November 22nd, 2017.
UN Base Potocari
United Nations military observers reported that upwards of 20,000 inhabitants, mainly women, children and the elderly, were converging on the Dutch battalion headquarters compound in Potocari.
UNPROFOR report
UN Base Potocari
The Dutch battalion Commander assessed that the main gate to the compound was vulnerable to Bosnian Serb Army fire, and accordingly ordered that a hole be cut in the fence on the other side of the compound. Some 4,000 to 5,000 refugees had entered the compound through this hole by the early evening.
UNPROFOR report
UN Base Potocari
The Dutch battalion did not have the provisions or space required to accommodate any more refugees and blocked entry into the compound for the additional refugees, estimated to number some 15,000 to 20,000, also comprised mainly of women, children and the elderly.
Hotel “Fontana”
Mladic summoned Dutch Battalion commander Karremans for two evening meetings at Hotel “Fontana”. At the first meeting Mladic warned him against the use of air power. At the second meeting later that night, Karremans returned with local Srebrenica representatives. Mladic asked them whether they wanted to survive or ”disappear”.
“All you have to do is say what you want. I told this gentleman last night. You can either survive or disappear.“
- General Ratko Mladic
Column
At midnight on July 11th, fifteen thousand Bosnian Muslim men decided they were no longer prepared to wait for death to arrive. Hiding in the woods outside Srebrenica, surrounded by Bosnian Serb military forces, a column of men set out on a perilous 63-mile journey through mountains and minefields to Tuzla.