They had to wait almost 27 years for it, but Saturday it was finally time. Prime Minister Rutte apologized to the Dutch soldiers of Dutchbat III, who were present at the fall of Srebrenica. For the first time, the government now admits that those soldiers were sent on a mission without a chance.
One of them was Rob Ermens from Helmond. In 1995 he had to watch as the Muslim enclave in Srebrenica was taken over by the Serbs. Which would have more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men murdered. Once back in the Netherlands, an accusing finger was pointed at the Dutchbat soldiers.
“That still touches me. Even after all these years.”
That there are now apologies for that, according to Rob is desperately needed. “You will never lose the feeling, but something will change after today. We have received recognition. I am very proud of that.”
During the fall of the enclave, Rob was transferred to Zagreb, while some of his colleagues had to remain in the epicenter of the misery. “That didn’t make it any easier for us either. My men were still there and we couldn’t do anything,” he says with a broken voice. “That still touches me. Even after all these years.”
“I hope that the circle is now complete and that I can close it.”
It shows why the words of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ollengren feel like a relief. “We have heard warm words today. They have done me good. I hope that the circle is now complete and that I can close it. But time will tell.”