Srebrenica Genocide

Srebrenica Genocide

On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces captured the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, a United Nations-declared “safe area.” The town was predominantly inhabited by Bosniak civilians and was under UN protection during the Bosnian War.

Following the takeover, Bosniak men and boys were separated from women and elderly civilians. Thousands were executed in mass killings, while women, children, and elderly were forcibly deported. Homes, property, and infrastructure were looted or destroyed. UN peacekeepers were present but unable to prevent the atrocities.

More than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed during the massacre. The events are legally classified as genocide by international courts. The massacre was part of broader ethnic cleansing campaigns in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Survivors were displaced, and many villages were destroyed or depopulated.