Chronologie du génocide de Srebrenica
The attack was planned by the Bosnian Serb leadership
Radovan Karadžić, President of the armed forces of Republika Srpska; Momčilo Krajišnik, President of the Republika Srpska National Assembly; and Radislav Krstić, Chief of Staff of the VRS Drina Corps, discussed an attack on Srebrenica. After the meeting, the Corps command began drafting a combat plan.
Serbian forces initiated a military assault
At around 3 a.m., Operation Krivaja 95 was launched. Shelling targeted the town of Srebrenica as well as observation posts operated by UNPROFOR’s Dutch Battalion (DutchBat). Over the subsequent days, UNPROFOR observation posts in the Srebrenica area fell under the control of Bosnian Serb forces.
Radovan Karadžić orders the takeover
Following orders from Radovan Karadžić, Bosnian Serb forces initiated the seizure of Srebrenica. In the days that followed, they escalated artillery attacks to break resistance from the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH Army) and the Dutch Battalion (DutchBat). As villages within the Srebrenica enclave were overrun and the encirclement tightened, Bosnian Muslim civilians fled toward the town of Srebrenica in search of safety.
Srebrenica falls
Serb forces enter Srebrenica and take over the town.
Meetings at the Hotel Fontana
Three meetings were held at the Hotel Fontana in the nearby town of Bratunac between the leadership of the Bosnian Serb forces and commanders of the Dutch Battalion (DutchBat) to address the worsening humanitarian situation. Civilian representatives of the Bosnian Muslim population participated in the second and third meetings. Ultimately, the Bosnian Serb forces set the terms for the removal of the Bosnian Muslim population from the enclave.
Meetings at the Hotel Fontana
Three meetings were held at the Hotel Fontana in the nearby town of Bratunac between the leadership of the Bosnian Serb forces and commanders of the Dutch Battalion (DutchBat) to address the worsening humanitarian situation. Civilian representatives of the Bosnian Muslim population participated in the second and third meetings. Ultimately, the Bosnian Serb forces set the terms for the removal of the Bosnian Muslim population from the enclave.
A plan to kill all Bosnian Muslim men
Ahead of the third meeting at the Hotel Fontana, Vujadin Popović, a lieutenant colonel in the VRS Drina Corps, told his colleague Momir Nikolić, Chief of Security and Intelligence of the VRS Bratunac Brigade, that thousands of Bosnian Muslim women and children from Srebrenica would be taken out of Potočari, while able-bodied men would be separated, briefly detained in Bratunac, and subsequently killed.
Population of Srebrenica gathers in Potočari
Thousands of Bosnian Muslims fled Srebrenica in search of protection at the nearby UN compound in Potočari. By morning, as many as 30,000 people—predominantly women, children, and the elderly—had gathered in the surrounding area. The humanitarian conditions were dire: food, water, and medical supplies were scarce, sanitation facilities were inadequate, and the heat was oppressive. Amid these conditions, some women went into labor, some people died, and others attempted, or took, their own lives.
Serb forces start separating Bosnian Muslim men
In the early afternoon, Bosnian Serb forces take control of Potočari. Dozens of buses and trucks start arriving in front of the DutchBat compound, and the separation of Bosnian Muslim men and boys begins.
The forced transfer of women and children took place
Women, children, and certain elderly men were placed on buses and trucks deployed by Bosnian Serb forces. By the next day, an estimated 30,000 women, children, and elderly individuals had been subjected to forced transfer from Potočari to Kladanj, located in territory controlled by the BiH Army.
Ratko Mladić reassures crowd in Potočari
Ratko Mladić, Commander of the VRS Main Staff, approached the assembled civilians in Potočari and stated that transportation would be made available to all persons without distinction of age or physical condition. He advised them not to be afraid or panic and assured them that they would not be harmed. He additionally directed that women and children should depart first and announced the arrival of 30 buses to transfer them to Kladanj.
The separated men and boys were detained in the building known as the White House
After being separated by members of the Bosnian Serb forces, hundreds of Bosnian Muslim men and boys were detained in a structure in Potočari called the White House. Armed soldiers forced them to give up their possessions, such as ID documents, money, wallets, bags, clothes, and other items of value, which were subsequently set on fire by Bosnian Serb forces.
Thousands of Muslim men and boys were captured and held in detention
In the immediate aftermath of Srebrenica’s fall, able-bodied men departed on foot through wooded terrain, fearing execution should they accompany their families to Potočari. A column numbering between 10,000 and 15,000 persons—predominantly Bosnian Muslim men and boys aged 16 to 65—extended approximately ten kilometres and proceeded toward Tuzla, an area controlled by the BiH Army. Thousands of individuals from this column, including civilians and BiH Army personnel, were captured by Bosnian Serb forces and detained at several locations, including Konjević Polje, Sandići, and Nova Kasaba.
Transportation to killing sites
Bosnian Muslim men and boys apprehended in the vicinity of Srebrenica were confined prior to being transferred to execution sites in the Bratunac municipality and subsequently to Zvornik. They were kept overnight on buses, trucks, or in makeshift detention facilities, where they received minimal or no food, insufficient water, and no medical treatment. Some detainees were subjected to beatings by Bosnian Serb forces, while others were instructed to leave their bags behind, being told they would no longer require them.
First mass killing
On the afternoon of 13 July, men and boys held at Sandići Meadow were either loaded onto buses bound for the Kravica Warehouse—a single-storey structure along the Bratunac–Konjević Polje Road—or compelled to march toward it in a column. Upon reaching the warehouse, the detainees were instructed to hand over all personal valuables. By 5 p.m., the building was so overcrowded that detainees were at risk of suffocation. That evening, gunfire began. Bosnian Serb forces entered the warehouse, firing at the detainees with M-84 machine guns and automatic rifles. Hand grenades were thrown through the windows, and additional gunfire targeted doors and windows from outside. Although the shooting lessened as night fell, it continued intermittently throughout the night. At least 1,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed in the Kravica Warehouse.
Bratunac killings
Bosnian Muslim men and boys who had been detained at the White House or captured from the column by Bosnian Serb forces were transported to the town of Bratunac and confined in the Vuk Karadžić school. The building was overcrowded, leaving insufficient space for all detainees to sit. They were instructed to leave their possessions outside, including any food they had brought. No food was provided inside, and although water was available, it was inadequate. Detainees were escorted to the toilets and were struck with rifle butts while being taken there. Eventually, fear prevented them from going to the toilets, and they relieved themselves where they stood. Members of the Bosnian Serb forces repeatedly removed detainees, who did not return. Groans and screams from detainees outside the school could be heard constantly. At least fifty Bosnian Muslim men were killed by Bosnian Serb forces inside the Vuk Karadžić school and in its immediate vicinity.
Orahovac mass executions
From approximately 2 a.m. on 14 July until early afternoon, convoys of buses transported detainees from Bratunac to the school in Orahovac, a village within the Zvornik Brigade’s area of responsibility. The gymnasium of the school eventually held up to 2,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys, primarily aged between 15 and 70, although some younger boys were also present. That afternoon, VRS officers, including Vujadin Popović, Chief of Security of the VRS Drina Corps; Ljubiša Beara, Chief of Security of the VRS Main Staff; and Drago Nikolić, Chief of Security of the Zvornik Brigade of the VRS Drina Corps, were present on the school premises. Shortly after their arrival, detainees were taken in small groups to be blindfolded, then led out of the school, placed onto trucks, and driven roughly 800 metres to two nearby meadows. Upon reaching the meadows, detainees were ordered to jump off the trucks and line up in rows. Once the trucks departed, automatic gunfire began. For approximately two hours, detainees continued to be transported by truck, ordered to line up, and shot. When the first meadow became covered with bodies, the soldiers moved to the second meadow, where the killings continued. In total, Bosnian Serb forces executed at least 839 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in these meadows.
Petkovci mass executions
On the afternoon of 14 July, roughly 1,000 detainees from Bratunac arrived by bus or truck at the new school in Petkovci, located near the headquarters of a Zvornik Brigade battalion. Upon disembarking, Bosnian Muslim men and boys were ordered to place their hands behind their heads and to sing Serb nationalist songs. Inside the school, they were made to repeat phrases after a Bosnian Serb soldier: “This is Serbian land and will always remain so” and “Srebrenica has always been Serbian and will continue to be that.” From dusk until approximately midnight, soldiers called detainees out of classrooms in groups, accompanied by bursts of gunfire. Sometime after midnight, detainees were removed from the classrooms, loaded onto trucks, and driven to a field near the Petkovci Dam. They were ordered to disembark five to ten at a time, find a position, and form lines. Soldiers wearing black balaclavas fired upon the detainees’ backs from a distance of seven to ten metres, causing those struck to fall atop previously killed individuals. In total, Bosnian Serb forces executed at least 815 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Petkovci, some within the school and others in the field near the dam.
Kozluk mass executions
From approximately 2 a.m. on 14 July until early afternoon, convoys of buses transported detainees from Bratunac to the school in Orahovac, a village within the Zvornik Brigade’s area of responsibility. The gymnasium of the school eventually held up to 2,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys, primarily aged between 15 and 70, although some younger boys were also present. That afternoon, VRS officers, including Vujadin Popović, Chief of Security of the VRS Drina Corps; Ljubiša Beara, Chief of Security of the VRS Main Staff; and Drago Nikolić, Chief of Security of the Zvornik Brigade of the VRS Drina Corps, were present on the school premises. Shortly after their arrival, detainees were taken in small groups to be blindfolded, then led out of the school, placed onto trucks, and driven roughly 800 metres to two nearby meadows. Upon reaching the meadows, detainees were ordered to jump off the trucks and line up in rows. Once the trucks departed, automatic gunfire began. For approximately two hours, detainees continued to be transported by truck, ordered to line up, and shot. When the first meadow became covered with bodies, the soldiers moved to the second meadow, where the killings continued. In total, Bosnian Serb forces executed at least 839 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in these meadows.
Branjevo Military Farm mass execution
On the afternoon of 14 July, several buses carrying detainees from Bratunac arrived at the school in Kula, a small settlement in the village of Pilica. On 16 July, some of these men and boys were transported to the nearby Branjevo Military Farm. Soldiers escorting them from the buses demanded money and beat those who claimed to have none. Upon reaching a meadow, the detainees were ordered to stop and turn away from the soldiers, who then opened fire with automatic rifles. After each round, the soldiers asked if any survivors remained, promising medical attention. Those who responded were shot in the head. In one instance, a man who begged to be killed was told: “Let him suffer. We’ll kill him later.” In total, approximately 1,200 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb forces at the Branjevo Military Farm.
Pilica Cultural Centre mass execution
While soldiers were executing the last group of detainees brought from Kula School, the lieutenant-colonel who had ordered the killings returned. He informed the soldiers that 500 Bosnian Muslim men from Srebrenica, detained at the Pilica Cultural Centre (also known as the ‘DOM culture’), were attempting to escape and needed to be executed. Forensic examinations of the Pilica Cultural Centre in 1996 and 1998 revealed human blood, bones, and tissue adhering to the walls and floor, as well as extensive damage caused by firearms and grenades. Gunshot markings were observed on the wall behind the stage, indicating that detainees had been on the stage before being shot. Shell casings were found scattered both inside and outside the building. Approximately 500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb forces at the Pilica Cultural Centre.
Final killings
Bosnian Serb forces conducted extensive searches of the surrounding areas to capture Bosnian Muslim men and boys fleeing from Srebrenica. Among the victims were four men killed at Baljkovica, two near Snagovo, 39 in Bišina, and six near Trnovo. Some were executed with their wrists bound, others while blindfolded, and some had their final moments recorded on film.
Cover-up operations
In an effort to conceal the mass executions of Bosnian Muslim men and boys from Srebrenica, Bosnian Serb forces, aided by civilian authorities, exhumed bodies from their original graves and reburied them in remote secondary locations. The village of Glogova, situated approximately eight kilometres from the Kravica Warehouse, was one such site. Aerial imagery indicates that the Glogova graves were initially dug between 17 and 27 July 1995. Subsequent images showing disturbed soil and a front loader suggest that these graves were tampered with on or before 30 October 1995. Bodies from Glogova were later found in secondary graves along the Zeleni Jadar Road. These secondary graves contained male remains, most exhibiting gunshot wounds, some with ligatures, as well as artifacts linked to the Kravica Warehouse, including barbed wire, car parts, bricks, tiles, china, and bundles of hay.