The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, stated that there is still no justice and peace for Srebrenica and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as he criticized politicians in the region who deny the genocide that occurred in Bosnia.
During the memorial ceremony for the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide held in Pristina, Kurti stated that “Serbia is responsible for not stopping the commission of crimes; it has never taken responsibility for committing this genocide mercilessly”.
According to the Kosovar Prime Minister, life imprisonment sentences handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to the former president of the Republika Srpska entity Radovan Karadžić, and the former military leader in Bosnia Ratko Mladić for the genocide in Srebrenica, indicate that the events in Bosnia were carried out from the outside.
“This is evidence that the genocide in Bosnia did not occur from within, but from outside, that the responsibility does not lie solely with some Bosnian Serbs, but with Serbia as a state. Therefore, there is still no justice and peace for Srebrenica and Bosnia,” said Kurti.
Kurti criticized politicians in Serbia and in the Republika Srpska entity who refuse to acknowledge the genocide in Srebrenica. According to him, this denial “rubs salt in the wounds” of the victims’ families.
“We want peace, cooperation, and equality among states and peoples in the Balkans. But the foundation of this peace is the punishment of criminals. It is unimaginable how, in the 21st century, there are politicians in our region who say that those who seek punishment for the perpetrators of genocide are against dialogue and good neighborliness. On the contrary, good neighborliness is achieved by condemning crimes and establishing justice. And good dialogue is when the parties do not shy away from distancing themselves from crimes,” said Kurti.
Present at this event to commemorate the victims of Srebrenica was also Member of Parliament from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šemsudin Mehmedović.
He stated that on 11 July, when the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide is observed, the entire democratic world will pay tribute to over 8,000 victims.
“But there will also be those who will refuse to pay tribute. Those who support Russia today, which committed major violations against Ukraine, that is Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [Serbia’s President] Aleksandar Vučić and [President of the Republika Srpska entity] Milorad Dodik, who do not recognize your Kosovo and my Bosnia and Herzegovina. They do not accept us as peoples because of their genocidal policies and the repetition of crimes,” he said.
According to Mehmedović, Serbia’s policy is to never recognize the independence of Kosovo but to eventually recognize the Republika Srpska as a state “and in this way, attempt to destroy the independence and international subjectivity of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
Two years ago, the Kosovo Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the events in Srebrenica as genocide.
In July 1995, forces of the Bosnian Serb army led by General Ratko Mladic killed around 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has classified these killings as genocide. However, at the highest state levels, Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to deny that genocide occurred in Srebrenica.
