After 27 years of recognition for Dutchbat soldiers: ‘It’s over, but I’m glad you’re here’

When Dutchbat III returned, things immediately went wrong. The international media came across commander Karremans’ formulas. He spoke of a “perfectly planned attack on Srebrenica” and said that “in this war… good guys and no bad guys” to be.

For eleven days, the Netherlands wondered whether our peacekeepers under UN command would survive the Serbian advance. In Karreman’s words, relief quickly turned into mistrust and reproach: shouldn’t more have been done to protect the innocent population? More than 8,000 Muslim men were killed by Bosnian Serb forces.

This tragic event contradicts the records that have colored the image of Dutchbat forever: Bosnian Serb general Mladic embraces the paralyzed Karremans, the Polonez of the survivors of massacres. After all these years, a ceremony in the barracks in Schaarsbergen has to compensate for that. The cabinet will recognize that the military has been sent on an impossible mission.

“We fought for this for 27 years,” said Alice Schutte, then 20-year-old corporal. His former colleague Derk Zwaan agrees. “It’s too late now, we can be clear about this, but I’m glad it’s finally happening.”

ten balls

In 1995, Dutchbat guarded the Bosnian city of Srebrenica, which had been declared a safe enclave by the UN during the Yugoslav civil war. However, on 11 July Bosnian Serb tanks invaded the city. There was no air support to prevent a massacre.

“We tried to stop them, but it didn’t work. The force majeure was enormous: tanks and thousands of soldiers,” explains Zwaan. “We were there with very few people and poor armament. I also had ten bullets.”

“We did everything we could do. I always say: we did the best of the worst,” adds Schutte. “But they let us down. There was no air support, even though we said it out loud.”

I

There was a life before and after the broadcast.

Alice Schutte, corporal on Dutchbat III

Zwaan emphasizes that he has no regrets. “I did everything I could.” In the Netherlands, however, Dutchbat III seemed to have fallen out of favor. It was sometimes seen that they were not seen as the soldiers of Mladic as the perpetrators of the fall of Srebrenica.

Schutte: “We were immediately called cowards. The newspaper read ‘Dutch killer’. While we fight.”

This hurt the veterans a lot. A third of Dutchbat soldiers report a negative impact for the rest of their lives, five times as many as veterans of other missions. “We are left to our own devices,” says Zwaan.

“There was a life before and after the broadcast,” says Schutte, who still suffers from PTSD. “I was a very fresh person in life, but it hurt me a lot.”

‘physical memory’

Srebrenica’s 25th anniversary brought changes. Dutch soldiers could tell their side of the story in interviews, their problems were explored and the company promised to make a gesture to the veterans.

Prime Minister Rutte addresses Defense Minister Ollongren and armed forces commander Eichelsheim Dutchbat today. There will also be a “permanent physical recall” for veterans that is still unclear. In addition, the government will assist Schutte and Zwaan on future visits to Srebrenica, which has been very helpful.

“By this way of acceptance and appreciation I can put anger, frustration, anger and sadness aside”, thinks Schutte. “I see this as a page to turn.”

“I don’t think we can finish this drama completely,” said Zwaan, “but we can make great strides and look to the future. With the people of Srebrenica.”

Source: NOS

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