UN Fails to Protect Srebrenica Enclave Amidst Mass Evacuation and Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

As Bosnian Serb forces, led by General Ratko Mladic, demanded that thousands of Muslim refugees leave the captured Srebrenica enclave immediately, the United Nations peacekeeping forces found themselves overwhelmed by the largest single refugee evacuation of the Balkan war. At least 30,000 people huddled around Dutch peacekeepers near the village of Potocari, with an additional 8,000 en route, as the international community struggled to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Key Takeaways:

• General Ratko Mladic ordered the immediate evacuation of Muslim refugees from Srebrenica, with 40 trucks stationed at the Potocari peacekeeping base to transport them to Bosnian Government-held central Bosnia.
• The UN Security Council met to discuss the crisis but failed to reach a decision, with most refugees intent on reaching Tuzla, a city also under UN protection, 90 kilometres north.
• UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko reported that General Mladic had told the local Dutch commander that males of more than 16 years of age would be screened in the Serb-held town of Bratunac for "possible war criminals".
• Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) reported that thousands of refugees, including 65 patients from Srebrenica hospital, were packed inside the UN post, with many more camped outside the gates.
• The UN special envoy, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, ruled out the French proposal to retake Srebrenica, stating that it would be impossible to reverse the situation.
• The UN Security Council demanded a Serb withdrawal from Srebrenica, but the Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, refused, stating that Srebrenica is their country.

Statistics:

• At least 30,000 Muslim refugees huddled around Dutch peacekeepers near the village of Potocari.
• An additional 8,000 refugees were believed to be on their way to the Srebrenica enclave.
• 40 trucks were stationed at the Potocari peacekeeping base to transport the refugees to Bosnian Government-held central Bosnia.
• 65 patients from Srebrenica hospital were among the refugees packed inside the UN post.

Sources:

• United Nations spokesman in Sarajevo
• Alexander Ivanko, UN spokesman
• Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Coward, UN spokesman
• Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
• Rikard Larma and Branislav Saric, AP photographers