Srebrenica massacre, 20 years on: Former Dutch minister accuses the West
- 9 years ago
Twenty years ago, some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered at the hands of Serb forces in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. At the time, the enclave was under the protection of both NATO and the United Nations, with Dutch UN peacekeepers on the ground. Ever since the tragedy, the Dutch authorities have been accused of not doing enough to stop the massacre.
As the world commemorates the 20th anniversary of this sombre episode, new information has surfaced, accusing the US, UK and France of reaching a secret deal with the Serbs without telling their key allies, notably the Dutch.
The explosive claims are made by our guest, Joris Voorhoeve, a man who was deeply involved in the issue at the time as Dutch Defence Minister.
"The Dutch commander of the peacekeepers in Srebrenica asked for close air support nine times and it was also promised to me. But nothing arrived until it was too late," Voorhoeve told FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman.
"I found that behind this was an agreement between the three governments of the United Kingdom, France and the United States not to use air strikes anymore… The three allies should have discussed their decision to suspend air power with the Netherlands government. We were kept in the dark," he lamented.
>>> Read Marc Perelman's full article: New documents shed light on Srebrenica failings 20 years on
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As the world commemorates the 20th anniversary of this sombre episode, new information has surfaced, accusing the US, UK and France of reaching a secret deal with the Serbs without telling their key allies, notably the Dutch.
The explosive claims are made by our guest, Joris Voorhoeve, a man who was deeply involved in the issue at the time as Dutch Defence Minister.
"The Dutch commander of the peacekeepers in Srebrenica asked for close air support nine times and it was also promised to me. But nothing arrived until it was too late," Voorhoeve told FRANCE 24's Marc Perelman.
"I found that behind this was an agreement between the three governments of the United Kingdom, France and the United States not to use air strikes anymore… The three allies should have discussed their decision to suspend air power with the Netherlands government. We were kept in the dark," he lamented.
>>> Read Marc Perelman's full article: New documents shed light on Srebrenica failings 20 years on
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
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Follow us on Twitter:
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