The upcoming vote at the UN General Assembly on the declaration regarding the genocide in Srebrenica has sparked strong reactions in Serbia, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska. The declaration, put forward by Germany and Rwanda, aims to establish July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Srebrenica Genocide and is set to be voted on later today.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has been in New York for two days, engaging with representatives from various countries in an effort to sway them to vote against the declaration. The Serbian delegation at the UN hosted a panel where testimonials from Serbs detailing crimes committed by Muslims during the war were shared. Vučić argued in his address that “the Srebrenica declaration will jeopardize the peaceful coexistence of the peoples in Bosnia.” The political leadership of Serbia asserts that “the Srebrenica declaration is a politically motivated act of condemning an entire nation.”
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik cautioned that the adoption of the declaration could signify the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The government of Republika Srpska is set to convene this afternoon in Srebrenica to determine the actions to take if the UN votes in favor of the declaration.
In Montenegro, widespread protests erupted in response to the government’s endorsement of the Srebrenica declaration. Supporters of Serbian parties, pro-Russian groups, and members of the Serbian Orthodox Church gathered outside the government building in Podgorica to urge a reconsideration of the government’s position. Many protesters sported T-shirts featuring Putin’s image and the letter “Z,” and waved Serbian and Russian flags.
The Serbian Orthodox Church declared that “under the guidance of Patriarch Porfirije, church bells will toll at noon in all Orthodox churches, summoning the faithful to prayer.” The announcement also conveyed, “Patriarch Porfirije has called upon the Serbian Orthodox people to come together in prayer for justice and peace for all peoples, particularly those with whom they share a longstanding history.” Russian Patriarch Kirill likewise urged prayers “in support of the Orthodox, fraternal Serbian people.”
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas