Serbian soldiers conquered the Muslim clave Srebrenica in Bosnia 30 years ago and killed 8,000 Muslim men. Dutch soldiers from the Assen Dutchbat bataljon who had to protect the population were powerless against the Serbs. Boudewijn Kok from Grolloo was one of them and took years to give the events of that war a place.
“It has been a long time since I have been here,” says Kok, when he enters the Jwf barracks in Assen in the JWF barracks. In a separate angle is a 3D map of Srebrenica, next to it the old access sign of the Dutch base in the enclave. Kok looks at a mannequin that carries the green -brown uniform that it knows so well. The light blue helmet of the United Nations rests on the head.
“Here it started in October 1994, at the same place as now,” he replies to the question when his preparation for the broadcast to Srebrenica started. “But that preparation was not good. We were not prepared for the place where we would eventually end up.”
The Dutch Battaljon (abbreviated to Dutchbat) was part of the 11 airmobile brigade, with the barracks in Assen as home base. There the soldiers were prepared for the war in Bosnia. But not as Kok expected in advance.
How did Defense prepare you for the mission to Bosnia?
“I did not know what kind of war I would end up, why there was war, which parties fought against each other, and why. We all did not know how the situation there was on the spot. What we did get, were pictures of mines and weapons. And warnings that you should not start anything with Bosnian women, because then you could go there.
How did your trip go to Srebrenica?
“At the beginning of January we departed from Schiphol with a Transavia aircraft. Then you were allowed to smoke on board, you got something to drink. It seemed like a vacation. We arrived in Zagreb, Croatia. There I thought: if this is, I will make it here for six months. I saw the Burger King, signs with Heineken. But that was only the camp in Zagreb. Then we had to go to Srebrenica for another 20 hours. And as we drove further, the war became more and more visible: broken houses, burned cars, children barefoot in the cold, on socks or only a T-shirt. “
What did you find when you arrived in Srebrenica?
“Many people, many children near our compound. You saw poverty. There used to be trees on the hills, they were all felled. Everywhere was wood for the door. Furthermore, you only saw broken cars and broken houses. I came from the Netherlands, was 20 years old, just used to luxury. And there it felt like I had gone 50 years ago in time. “
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