Hungary’s foreign minister announced that the country will vote against a United Nations resolution commemorating the 1995 genocide of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica. The minister argued that the resolution would inflame tensions in the Balkan region. The genocide saw over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys executed by Bosnian Serb troops and their remains were hidden in mass graves. Hungary’s decision to vote against the resolution was based on the belief that it would unjustly demonize the entire Serbian nation.
The U.N. resolution is supported by Bosniak politicians, along with several European countries and the United States. However, Bosnian Serbs and Serbia strongly oppose it, fearing that it would brand the Serbs as a genocidal nation. International courts in The Hague have stated that the Srebrenica massacre was indeed a genocide, with Bosnian Serb leaders and army officers being convicted of genocide by U.N. judges. Russia and China stand in support of the Serbs’ opposition to the resolution.
Milorad Dodik, a Bosnian Serb separatist leader, denies that the Srebrenica massacre was a genocide. He was put under U.S. sanctions in 2022 due to activities deemed as threatening to regional stability. Dodik expressed concern that the U.N. resolution would further destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanking Hungary for opposing it. The head of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, Emir Suljagić, criticized Hungary’s stance, particularly calling out Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for aligning with forces that deny and revise historical tragedies such as the Srebrenica genocide.
The resolution, proposed by Germany and Rwanda, seeks to establish July 11 as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.” While it has garnered support from various global players, including the U.S., it faces strong opposition from the Serb community. The political tensions surrounding the resolution highlight the ongoing divisions and sensitivities in the region, with different parties holding conflicting narratives about the events in Srebrenica. Hungary’s decision adds another layer to the complex dynamics at play in the aftermath of one of Europe’s most devastating genocides since World War II.
The debate over the Srebrenica genocide resolution reflects broader political currents in the region, with nationalist leaders like Orbán and Dodik taking stances that seek to downplay historical truths for political expediency. The international community’s efforts to acknowledge and learn from the tragedy face resistance from countries like Hungary, which aligns with forces of denial and revisionism. The conflicting narratives and interpretations of the Srebrenica genocide continue to shape the socio-political landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina, underscoring the complexities and challenges of coming to terms with a dark chapter in European history. Hungary’s opposition to the resolution highlights the ongoing struggle to achieve reconciliation and justice in the aftermath of mass atrocities.
