UN approves resolution to commemorate the 1995 Srebrenica genocide annually over Serb opposition

The United Nations has approved a resolution establishing an annual day to commemorate the 1995 genocide of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serbs. The move Thursday was vehemently opposed by Serbs who fear it will brand them all as “genocidal” supporters of the mass killing. The vote in the 193-member General Assembly was 84-19 with 68 nations abstaining, a reflection of concern among many countries about the impact of the vote on efforts to achieve reconciliation in deeply divided Bosnia. The resolution designates July 11 as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica,” to be observed annually starting in two months.