Former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Boutros Boutros-Ghali, died yesterday at 94 years. He led the UN in the period of the greatest challenges of the late 20th century, and he is not a popular person in BiH because of his questionable attitudes toward the war events. The historian Amir Duranovic said that the disclosure of so far inaccessible documents will show the true role of the UN and Boutros-Ghali in BiH at the end of the 1990’s.
The introduction of the arms embargo during the war, which left the Army of BiH during the war with hands tied, passive attitude in regard of the protection of the enclaves and not informing the UN Security Council on the situation in Srebrenica, are just some of the main complaints about the role and activities of Boutros-Ghali during the war in BiH.
The responsibility of the UN and thus Boutros-Ghali for the Srebrenica genocide was confirmed by a former Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations Diego Aria who testified in court in The Hague, and said that there was no doubt in what was going to happen and that he saw it by himself while staying in Srebrenica, two years before the genocide in 1995.
Aria emphasized that Boutros-Ghali has full responsibility since he did not warned the UN Security Council on what is going to happen in Srebrenica.
“Inability of the UN, primarily due to unclear political position of leading world powers, to act more specifically in BiH in order to prevent war operations, persecution, ethnic cleansing and destruction, will remain the point around which will be built a negative memory of Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the UN as an organization. However, for a more complete picture of the role of the UN in the war in BiH and its Secretary – General we probably have to wait more until today’s inaccessible documents from the UN, as well as from the cabinets of the great powers, will be placed on insight of the public. Such a change would, potentially, influence on the change of the the negative image that is mostly prevalent on Boutros Boutros-Ghali today,” stated Duranovic.
In the meantime, the current historical memory on Boutros Boutros-Ghali is placing him on the negative side of history, at least when it comes to BiH, although this Egyptian diplomat did not enjoy the support of the many world powers, including the United States.
(Source: S. H./Klix.ba)