The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Netherlands was partially liable for the deaths of around 350 Bosniak men who were handed over to Bosnian Serb Army troops on July 13, 1995 by the UN’s Dutch Battalion of peacekeepers, based near Srebrenica, and later killed.

The three ethnic groups were clashing with each other, even Bosnian Serbs were trying to cleanse the Bosniaks who are the only ethnic Muslims in that heart-shaped country. Genocide seems to have been prepared systematically for Bosniaks and ethnic Croats who were side with Bosniaks.

The largest bloodbath in Europe since WWII began on this day 24 years ago. It became known as the Srebrenica massacre. Over 8,000 men and boys were murdered for one reason only: They were Bosnian Muslims. And the world sat idly by.

The United States remains a steadfast partner of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, as we remember the fallen, we reaffirm our commitment to building peace and prosperity throughout the region and to ensuring such a tragedy can never happen again.

On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, mayors of the Canadian cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor and Saskatoon proclaimed July 11th the Remembrance Day of the Genocide in Srebrenica.

After the Holocaust, the world vowed "Never Again," but the fall of the United Nations "safe area" of Srebrenica to Bosnian Serb and Serbian forces in July of 1995 stands out as the international community's most egregious failure to intervene during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It led to genocide, forced displacement, and a legacy of loss.