Srebrenica 10 years on. A past that haunts and a future that beckons

Article by EU High Representative Javier Solana

The massacre of 8,000 Bosniaks in and around Srebrenica was a monstrous crime. In moral, human and political terms, it was the darkest hour of the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Among the many outrages of those wars, Srebrenica stands out as by far the worst atrocity in Europe since the end of World War II.

The mass killings of Muslim men and boys by Serbian forces and paramilitaries was merciless and systematic. What made things worse is that the victims had put their trust in the UN, in international protection. But we, the international community, let them down. It was a colossal, collective and shameful failure.

The memories of those days still haunt us all: the families of the victims and especially the wives and mothers who lost their loved ones; the small number of survivors, some of whom have returned to the area; the people of Bosnia- Hercegovina for whom Srebrenica became a symbol of the war and their blood- stained independence; but also a generation of European leaders, myself included. We are scarred and humbled by our inability to prevent this unspeakable crime.

It was as a result of Srebrenica that we took decisive action to change the course of events in Bosnia. Later in 1995, at Dayton, we finally reached a political agreement that ended the Bosnian war. Like the others involved, the EU should have done more, and earlier, to help to protect defenceless people. I deeply regret that we did not.

We Europeans cannot and should not erase the past. European history is full of memories, many of which are painful and bitter. Churchill has rightly said that this part of Europe especially produces more history than it can consume. Still, we should try to transcend our history and forge a common future. And Bosnia's future lies in Europe.

We should not forget that Srebenica was a consequence of there not being enough Europe. Nor should we forget that Europe's magnetic pull is, more than ever, a major factor of international peace and stability.

In the past ten years, Bosnia has moved towards that European future. Although it still has a lot of catching up to do, it is no longer a post-conflict country. Basic peace stabilisation has been achieved. That progress is down to the choices and hard work of those Bosnians who want their country to work. We in the European Union have been playing and will continue to play our full part. The war in Bosnia-Hercegovina, culminating in the Srebenica atrocity, and the realisation that we lacked the tools to address the disaster collectively at EU level, was a lesson to us. Since then, we have

1 forged a more united EU foreign policy, with a crisis management capacity to back it up. It is not by chance that Bosnia-Hercegovina has been a top priority for EU external action in recent years.

Through the 7,000-strong EUFOR Althea operation - the largest stabilisation mission ever launched by the EU - as well as a police mission, we have sought to provide a secure environment and support police reform. Through significant sums of financial assistance (more than €2 bn since 1995) to build a stable, well-functioning state. And most of all through our determination that, provided clear conditions are met, we will accompany Bosnia towards its final destination of entry into the European Union.

To reach its goal of entering the European Union, that goal, Bosnia will need to implement and sustain many important reforms: establishing proper democratic procedures, improving the rule of law, tackling organised crime and achieving macro- economic stability, to attract investment and provide much-needed jobs. The EU is ready to help. But the will to enact these reforms must come from Bosnian leaders and their people. Bosnia cannot afford to slacken the pace of reform.

Let us be clear: Bosnia's integration into EU structures is our goal. But there can be no integration without reconciliation. And there can be no reconciliation without justice. It is therefore a moral and political imperative to have all those responsible for the crimes of the Bosnia war tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Some of those responsible for the Srebrenica massacre have had their day in court - and I welcome the more active co-operation of the current Serbian leadership. The Bosnian Serb General Radislav Krstic has been convicted of 'aiding and abetting genocide'. Others such as Slobodan Milosevic are awaiting their verdict. I fully support the excellent work of the ICTY and its prosecutor, Carla de Ponte. Of the 162 people indicted for crimes committed during all the Yugoslav wars, only 10 remain at large. For its part, the EU has introduced concrete targeted measures (visa ban, assets freeze) against those who obstruct the work of the ICTY and support Karadzic and Mladic.

But we all know that Bosnia cannot move forward and the ghosts of Srebrenica cannot be laid to rest while some indicted suspects, notably Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, remain free.

Ten years is far too long. It is time to bring this shameful episode to a closure. These men need to be in The Hague. That is what the families of the Srebrenica victims want and deserve. It is also what Bosnia and the wider region need. We in the EU will do everything in our power to make it happen.

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