Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday met with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un throughout a go to to the secretive nation and Moscow’s ally.
Lavrov “was received” by Kim Jong Un, Russia’s international ministry stated on Telegram, posting a video of two males shaking fingers and greeting with a hug.
Russian and North Korean state media introduced the go to earlier, saying Lavrov would keep till Sunday.
It is the most recent in a collection of high-profile journeys by prime Moscow officers as each international locations deepen army and political ties over Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
Pyongyang despatched 1000’s of troops to Russia’s Kursk area to oust Kyiv’s forces and offered the Russian military with artillery shells and missiles.
Lavrov stated that North Korean officers had “reaffirmed their full support for all objectives” of the offensive in Ukraine, in line with a Russian state company Tass.
He additionally thanked the “heroic” North Korean troopers, the Russian international ministry stated.
North Korea solely confirmed it had deployed troops to help Russia in April.
Since then, Kim has been proven in state media paying tribute in entrance of flag-draped coffins of North Korean troopers killed serving to Russia combat Ukraine.
Russia’s safety chief Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang a number of instances this yr.
The two closely sanctioned nations signed a army deal final yr, together with a mutual protection clause, throughout a uncommon go to by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea.
Warning to US, SK, Japan
Earlier on Saturday, Lavrov met along with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui in Wonsan, a metropolis on the nation’s east coast the place a large resort was opened earlier this month.
After the assembly with Choe, Lavrov accused the U.S., South Korea and Japan of what he referred to as their army buildups round North Korea.
“We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,” he informed reporters, in line with Russia’s state Tass news company.
The U.S., South Korea and Japan have been increasing or restoring their trilateral army workout routines in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear program.
On Friday, the three international locations held a joint air drill involving U.S. nuclear-capable bombers close to the Korean Peninsula, as their prime army officers met in Seoul and urged North Korea to stop all illegal actions that threaten regional safety.
North Korea views main U.S.-led army drills as invasion rehearsals. It has lengthy argued that it is pressured to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself from U.S. army threats.
Lavrov stated Russia understands North Korea’s choice to hunt nuclear weapons.
“The technologies used by North Korea are the result of the work of its own scientists. We respect North Korea’s aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing a nuclear development,” Lavrov stated.
During their assembly, Choe reiterated that North Korea “unconditionally” helps Russia’s combat in opposition to Ukraine. She described ties between North Korea and Russia as “the invincible alliance.”
Lavrov stated he repeated Russia’s gratitude for the contribution that North Korean troops made in efforts to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border area.
Wonsan metropolis, the assembly venue, is the place North Korea just lately opened a mammoth seaside resort that it says can accommodate practically 20,000 individuals.
In his feedback initially of his assembly with Choe, Lavrov stated that “I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here. We will do everything we can to facilitate this, creating conditions for this, including air travel,” in line with the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Wonsan-Kalma vacationer zone is on the middle of North Korean chief Kim Jong Un’s push to spice up tourism as a manner to enhance his nation’s troubled economic system. But prospects for the largest vacationer advanced in North Korea aren’t clear, because the nation seems unlikely to totally reopen its borders and embrace Western vacationers anytime quickly.
The Daily Sabah Newsletter
Keep updated with what’s occurring in Turkey,
it’s area and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you’re agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This website is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Emergency vaccination throughout outbreaks of ailments like cholera, Ebola and measles have over the previous quarter-century lowered deaths from such sicknesses by almost 60 p.c, in keeping with a brand new research.
The same variety of infections are additionally believed to have been prevented, whereas billions of euros have been generated in estimated financial profit.
The Gavi vaccine alliance, which backed the research, mentioned it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to supply the world’s first have a look at the historic affect of emergency immunisation efforts on public well being and international well being safety.
“For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases,” Gavi chief Sania Nishtar mentioned in an announcement.
“This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks.”
The research, printed this week within the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, examined 210 outbreaks of 5 infectious ailments — cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever — in 49 lower-income international locations between 2000 and 2023.
Vaccine roll-outs in these settings had a dramatic affect, with the research displaying they lowered each the variety of infections and deaths by nearly 60 p.c throughout the 5 ailments.
For a few of the ailments the impact was way more dramatic.
Vaccination was proven to lower deaths throughout yellow fever outbreaks by a full 99 p.c, and 76 p.c for Ebola.
At the identical time, emergency vaccination considerably lowered the specter of outbreaks increasing.
It additionally estimated that the immunisation efforts carried out in the course of the 210 outbreaks generated almost $32 billion in financial advantages simply from averting deaths and years of life misplaced to incapacity.
That quantity was nevertheless prone to be a major underestimate of general financial savings, it mentioned, declaring that it didn’t take into consideration outbreak response prices or the social and macro-economic impacts of disruptions created by giant outbreaks.
The large Ebola outbreak that hit West Africa in 2014, earlier than the existence of accepted vaccines, for example noticed instances pop up worldwide and is estimated to have value the West African international locations alone greater than $53 billion.
The research comes after the World Health Organization warned in April that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable ailments equivalent to measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to worldwide assist.
Gavi, which helps vaccinate greater than half the world’s kids towards infectious ailments, is itself at the moment making an attempt to safe a recent spherical of funding within the face of the worldwide assist cuts and after Washington final month introduced it could cease backing the group.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned on Saturday that Moscow “respects” Pyongyang’s actions in creating its nuclear program and that he understands the explanations behind it.
Speaking at a gathering together with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui within the resort metropolis of Wonsan, Lavrov emphasised the protection character of this system.
“We respect their actions and understand the reasons behind their implementation of the nuclear program,” he mentioned.
“The leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea made appropriate conclusions long before Israeli-American strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was precisely because these conclusions were drawn in a timely manner that no one even contemplates using force against North Korea, despite military buildup around it involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan,” Lavrov mentioned.
He added that applied sciences utilized by North Korea are the results of actions carried out by the nation’s scientists.
Ten Palestinians have been reported died Friday whereas ready for rations in Gaza, including to nearly 800 related deaths within the earlier six weeks, based on the U.N. Israel’s military stated it offered recent directions to troops in response to repeated allegations of fatalities.
Friday’s reported violence got here as negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have been locked in oblique talks in Qatar to attempt to agree on a short lived ceasefire within the greater than 21-month battle.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Thursday he hoped a deal for a 60-day pause within the battle might be struck within the coming days, and that he would then be prepared to barter a extra everlasting finish to hostilities.
Hamas has stated the free stream of help is a principal sticking level within the talks, with Gaza’s greater than two million residents going through a dire humanitarian disaster of starvation and illness amid the grinding battle.
Israel started easing a greater than two-month complete blockade of help in late May. Since then, a brand new U.S.- and Israel-backed group referred to as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has successfully sidelined the territory’s huge U.N.-led help supply community.
There are frequent reviews of Israeli forces firing on individuals searching for help, with Gaza’s civil defence company saying 10 Palestinians have been killed Friday whereas ready at a distribution level close to the southern metropolis of Rafah.
‘Unacceptable’
The U.N., which refuses to cooperate with GHF over issues it was designed to cater to Israeli army goals, stated Friday that 798 individuals have been killed searching for help between late May and July 7, together with 615 “in the vicinity of the GHF sites”.
“Where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine, and where… they have a choice between being shot or being fed, this is unacceptable,” U.N. rights workplace spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani instructed reporters in Geneva.
Israel’s army didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Friday’s deaths, however has beforehand accused militants of firing at civilians within the neighborhood of help facilities.
Asked concerning the U.N. figures, the army stated it had labored to reduce “possible friction” between help seekers and troopers, and that it performed “thorough examinations” of incidents wherein “harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported”.
“Instructions were issued to forces in the field following lessons learned,” it added in an announcement.
GHF referred to as the U.N. report “false and misleading”, claiming that “most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to U.N. convoys”.
Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence company, instructed AFP that Israeli forces killed 45 individuals general within the territory on Friday.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas imply AFP is unable to independently confirm tolls and particulars offered by the company and different events.
Truce talks
In Gaza’s south, a witness stated Israeli tanks have been seen close to Khan Yunis, reporting “intense gunfire, intermittent air strikes, artillery shelling, and ongoing bulldozing and destruction of displacement camps and agricultural land”.
Israel’s army stated troops have been working within the space in opposition to “terrorist infrastructure sites, both above and below ground”.
Hamas has stated that as a part of a possible truce deal it was prepared to launch 10 of the hostages taken throughout its assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the Gaza battle.
Netanyahu, who’s beneath stress to finish the battle after mounting army losses, stated that would depart 10 residing hostages nonetheless in captivity.
“I hope we can complete it in a few days,” he stated of the preliminary ceasefire settlement and hostage launch in an interview with U.S. outlet Newsmax.
“We’ll probably have a 60-day ceasefire, get the first batch out, then use the 60-day ceasefire to negotiate an end to this.”
Netanyahu has stated {that a} key situation of any deal is that Hamas first provides up its weapons and its maintain on Gaza, warning that failure to take action on Israel’s phrases would result in additional battle.
Another concern holding up a deal is disagreement on the variety of Palestinian prisoners to be launched in trade for hostages, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has stated.
Hamas has stated it needs “real guarantees” for a long-lasting truce and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, and that it opposes any Israeli strikes to push Palestinians into “isolated enclaves”.
The Daily Sabah Newsletter
Keep updated with what’s occurring in Turkey,
it’s area and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you might be agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This web site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Russian Foreign Minister SergeyLavrov expressed remorse on Saturday over North Korea‘s absence at current ASEAN occasions in Kuala Lumpur, saying Pyongyang’s presence “was missed” and affirming that Russia had defended its pursuits in its stead.
“Even in your absence, we upheld your interests at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum on Security,” Lavrov mentioned throughout a gathering with North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Wonsan, a resort metropolis developed beneath North Korean chief Kim Jong Un’s directives.
Lavrov praised the newly constructed resort, predicting that Russian vacationers would “increasingly seek out this destination.”
He pledged that Russia’s Foreign Ministry would “do everything possible” to facilitate journey, together with the institution of direct air connections.
Referencing Choe’s earlier description of the Russia-North Korea strategic dialogue as “a solid foundation for an invincible combat brotherhood,” Lavrov mentioned a sentiment had been “tangibly confirmed” by the collaboration of Korean People’s Army (KPA) troopers with Russian forces within the Kursk area.
“Heroic KPA soldiers fought alongside our troops, paying with blood and lives to liberate the area from Ukrainian Nazis,” Lavrov mentioned, applauding North Korea’s management and repair members for his or her “excellent combat readiness” and contributions to “the just cause of liberating Russian territories.”
Lavrov’s talks with Choe Son-hui are a part of the second spherical of strategic dialogue between the 2 international locations’ international ministers.
Lavrov is scheduled to remain within the nation till Sunday after which proceed to China for a gathering of the international ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states.
During his go to to the capital Pyongyang, Lavrov can even ship a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korean chief Kim Jong Un.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Monday he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with advancing peace efforts in a number of areas.
Netanyahu made the announcement at first of a joint dinner on the White House, the place he handed Trump a replica of the letter he despatched to the Nobel Committee.
“It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu stated in entrance of cameras.
“He’s forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other,” Netanyahu stated.
Trump responded: “Wow. Thank you very much. Coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful.”
Trump has acquired a number of Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and constant lawmakers through the years and has made no secret of his irritation at lacking out on the distinguished award.
The Republican has complained that the Norwegian Nobel Committee had missed him for his mediating function in conflicts between India and Pakistan, in addition to Serbia and Kosovo.
He has additionally claimed credit score for “keeping peace” between Egypt and Ethiopia and for brokering the Abraham Accords, a sequence of agreements geared toward normalizing relations between Israel and a number of other Arab nations.
Trump campaigned for workplace as a “peacemaker” who would use his negotiating abilities to rapidly finish the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s genocidal warfare on Gaza, though each conflicts are nonetheless raging greater than 5 months into his presidency.
The Daily Sabah Newsletter
Keep updated with what’s occurring in Turkey,
it’s area and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you might be agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This website is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum assembly has urged the nuclear weapon states to “fulfil their obligations in advancing nuclear disarmament” and to “recognize the need to completely eliminate nuclear weapons.”
ASEAN, together with a number of different nations, together with the US, through the thirty second ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Friday, reiterated “the importance of strengthening international and regional cooperative efforts in nuclear non-proliferation,” in keeping with a press release from the chair.
The assembly reaffirmed the group’s dedication to “preserving the Southeast Asian region as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.”
It emphasised the significance of strengthening “mutual trust and confidence” and exercising self-restraint “in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation” within the South China Sea.
The assembly additionally expressed “deep concern over the escalation of conflicts and humanitarian situation in Myanmar” and denounced “the continued acts of violence against civilians and public facilities,” whereas additionally urging all events to “take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence.”
It confused the significance of “resuming peaceful dialogue among all concerned parties in order to realize lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” expressing its “grave concern over the recent surge in North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile testing and ballistic missile launches.”
The assembly underscored the significance of “immediate cessation of hostilities and the serious engagement in a genuine dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the conflict” in Ukraine.
The assembly additionally urged an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza and “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, especially women, children, the sick and the elderly,” condemning “all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
It reaffirmed its “longstanding support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights to self-determination, and to their homeland,” and referred to as on all events “to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict with a view to realizing the two-State solution in accordance with international law.”
The expanded safety discussion board is attended by the US, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and the EU, in addition to different nations in South Asia and the Pacific along with the ASEAN members.
Notably, Pyongyang didn’t attend this yr’s session, for the primary time since 2000, in keeping with the Yonhap News.
Israeli officers mentioned Tuesday that gaps stay in Gaza cease-fire talks with Hamas in Qatar however expressed optimism {that a} deal is feasible, although it may take a number of extra days.
The new push by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators to halt clashes within the battered enclave has gained tempo since Sunday, when the warring sides started oblique talks in Doha and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got down to Washington.
Netanyahu met on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, who mentioned on the eve of their assembly {that a} cease-fire and hostage deal could possibly be reached this week. The Israeli chief was scheduled to fulfill Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who performed a significant position in crafting the cease-fire proposal, will journey to Doha this week to affix discussions there, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters earlier Monday.
The cease-fire proposal envisages a phased launch of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from elements of Gaza and discussions on ending the struggle completely.
Hamas has lengthy demanded an finish to the struggle earlier than it will free remaining hostages. Israel has insisted it will not agree to finish the combating till all hostages are launched and Hamas dismantled. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to nonetheless be alive.
Palestinian sources mentioned Monday that there have been gaps between the edges on the entry of humanitarian assist into Gaza.
Senior Israeli officers briefing journalists in Washington mentioned it might take quite a lot of days to finalize agreements in Doha however they didn’t elaborate on the sticking factors. Another Israeli official mentioned progress had been made.
Israeli Minister Zeev Elkin, who sits in Netanyahu’s safety cupboard, mentioned that there was “a substantial chance” a cease-fire could be agreed.
“Hamas wants to change a few central matters, it’s not simple, but there is progress,” he advised Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Tuesday.
Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, incursion triggered the struggle, inflicting 1,219 deaths and taking 251 hostages, largely civilians, in line with Israeli official figures.
Israel’s genocidal struggle, as compared, has killed over 57,418 individuals in Gaza, largely ladies and youngsters, in line with the Health Ministry, displaced nearly the complete inhabitants of greater than 2 million individuals, sparked a humanitarian disaster within the enclave and left a lot of the territory in ruins.
In Gaza City, youngsters walked via particles, the place residents mentioned an Israeli airstrike had hit in a single day, with youngsters among the many casualties. The Israeli army didn’t instantly present particulars on the goal of the strike.
“We hope that a cease-fire will be reached and that the massacres against the Palestinian people will stop,” mentioned Mohammed Joundiya, standing within the rubble left within the aftermath of the assault.
At Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, former hostage Keith Siegel, who was launched in February in a earlier cease-fire, described the anguish of these held incommunicado for tons of of days in Hamas captivity. “We have a window of opportunity to save lives,” he mentioned, “every minute is critical.”
The Daily Sabah Newsletter
Keep updated with what’s occurring in Turkey,
it’s area and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you’re agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This website is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
China and Canada ought to view one another in a extra goal and rational method, and strengthen cooperation in a extra optimistic and open spirit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi advised his Canadian counterpart on Friday in Malaysia.
The two nations “can absolutely be partners for mutual success”, Wang stated, in accordance with a press release launched by his ministry.
China opposes the “unreasonable suppression” of its corporations and hopes Canada will present a very good atmosphere for Chinese companies to speculate and function, he stated.
These verses come from “Srebrenica Inferno” a poetic oratorio that has grow to be an everlasting emblem of collective mourning. Each yr on July 11, these haunting phrases echo via Srebrenica.
They will resonate as soon as extra on Friday, on the thirtieth anniversary of the 1995 bloodbath within the small jap Bosnian city – Europe’s solely acknowledged post-World War II genocide.
More than 8,000 Muslim males and boys had been separated from their wives, moms and sisters and executed in simply a number of days after Bosnian Serb fighters overran Srebrenica in the course of the remaining months of the warfare within the Balkan nation.
Those who tried to flee had been hunted via the forests and over the mountains surrounding the city.
The our bodies had been dumped into mass graves round Srebrenica and later reburied a number of occasions to cover proof of the crimes. To today, the stays of the victims are nonetheless being excavated and buried every year on July 11, when the killings began in 1995.
Bosnian Muslim males carry caskets with the stays of victims forward of the burial ceremony on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 10, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Thousands of individuals from Bosnia and all over the world gathered in Srebrenica on Friday to mark the anniversary of the genocide.
Seven newly recognized victims whose stays had been discovered in several areas over the previous years can be laid to relaxation within the memorial cemetery at Potocari, simply exterior the city.
‘Never stronger’
Dzemaludin Latic penned the verses of the “Srebrenica Inferno” to mirror the grief of kids who misplaced their households within the genocide. The music was composed by the late Delo Jusic.
A distinguished author, poet and Islamic scholar, Latic says Bosniaks appear to be “never stronger than they are on July 11.”
“And conversely, it feels just like the higher Serbia ethnic motion – legal and aggressive – is rarely weaker than it’s on that day,” he informed Daily Sabah in an interview.
The bloodbath in Srebrenica was the bloody crescendo of Bosnia’s 1992-95 warfare, which got here after the breakup of the previous Yugoslavia unleashed nationalist passions and territorial ambitions that set Bosnian Serbs towards the Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks.
The battle erupted after Bosnia’s Serbs took up arms in a rise up towards Bosnia’s independence from Yugoslavia and with an intention to create their very own state and finally unite with neighboring Serbia.
A Bosnian Muslim girl reads as she sits amid grave stones of victims killed in the course of the Srebrenica genocide, on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 11, 2025. (Reuters Photo)
More than 100,000 individuals had been killed and tens of millions displaced earlier than a U.S.-brokered peace settlement was reached in Dayton in 1995.
Denial
Bosnia stays ethnically break up, whereas each Bosnia’s Serbs and Serbia nonetheless downplay and refuse to acknowledge that what occurred in Srebrenica was genocide regardless of rulings by two U.N. courts.
Dozens of Bosnian Serb political and navy officers have been convicted and sentenced for genocide and warfare crimes. Yet lots of them are nonetheless celebrated by Serbian and Bosnian Serb officers as nationwide heroes.
Regrettably, Latic says, the political management, the Bosniak individuals and far of the worldwide neighborhood appear to have accepted the concept the genocide occurred solely in Srebrenica.
“But it didn’t happen just in Srebrenica – it happened throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was a genocide against the entire Bosniak people. That was its intent,” he stated.
‘Tied fingers’ and worldwide complicity
Latic questions why they don’t seem to be allowed to commemorate the genocide throughout all of Bosnia-Herzegovina and why it’s restricted to solely July 11.
People stand in entrance of grave stones on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap Bosnian city of Srebrenica, July 11, 2025. (AFP Photo)
“Because the first genocide in Europe after World War II was committed here – and the responsible actors don’t want to confront their own role. Primarily, I mean Western countries,” he stated.
“They had been obligated, beneath worldwide regulation, to permit us to defend ourselves after we gained worldwide recognition. But they did not.
They tied our fingers from April 1992 to the top of the warfare in 1995. They wish to disguise their previous and their complicity.”
According to Latic, commemorations assist expose the insurance policies that led to genocide. But he stresses that they’re nonetheless inadequate.
Latic himself was arrested in 1983 throughout a crackdown on Muslim intellectuals in Yugoslavia and sentenced to six 1/2 years in jail. He was launched in 1986 after worldwide stress.
He was a detailed affiliate of Alija Izetbegovic, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s first president, who led the nation to independence from Yugoslavia.
Embargo
Latic emphasizes that the nations with energy and affect are “still bargaining with Bosnia” and with its trauma.
“They are, in a way, still bargaining over our genocide.”
A grave stone is wrapped with a flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina because it stands amid different grave stones of victims killed in the course of the Srebrenica genocide, on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 11, 2025. (Reuters Photo)
He accused the worldwide system of double requirements. Bosnia, he says, was at all times supposed to be divided unjustly, and “at the expense of Muslims.”
“To be blunt and brutal: they are turning Bosnia into a new Palestine. It was effectively divided in Dayton,” he burdened.
Bosniaks, Latic says, nonetheless face hardship and displacement.
“Before, we had an arms embargo; now we have an embargo on statehood, on democracy, on the right to live like people in the rest of the Western world,” he added.
Poetry as testimony
Through “Srebrenica Inferno,” Latic says he merely fulfilled the responsibility of his poetic calling.
“Now I feel somewhat relieved, having done something, however small,” he stated.
“I don’t believe we can ever say we have repaid our debt to the victims. That is impossible.”
A Bosnian Muslim girl touches grave stones as she visits the graves of her family on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 11, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Latic believes artwork speaks of genocide extra powerfully and lastingly than political speeches or tutorial texts.
He hopes his poem won’t solely inform future generations, however transfer them, and assist them carry that reality of their hearts.
“To continue the fight for freedom, for our people and our land. And to never forget our innocent victims and the children who were murdered.”
Historical injustice
Latic says Bosnian Muslims are an indigenous individuals who have lived within the area for over a thousand years.
“We have our own art, our own artists – yet, like our country, since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, we’ve been pushed aside, undervalued,” he famous.
“They asserted themselves while denying us. They wrote the history. When I say ‘they,’ I mean Serbs, Croats and others,” he added.
“They denied our country. They still deny Bosnia. They denied our national identity, our language. We weren’t allowed to use our historical name.”
Women sit close to grave stones on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap Bosnian city of Srebrenica, July 11, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Therefore, he says, Bosniaks should proceed to battle for his or her freedom. “Through art, diplomacy, politics and by forging alliances.”
The Turkish individuals, Latic says, “are our brotherly nation, perhaps our greatest ally in this struggle.”
He recalled contributions of among the late Turkish leaders, in addition to another Muslim world figures, saying their help won’t ever be forgotten.
Latic added that had President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan been in energy on the time, “the genocide would not have happened – or at least, not to that extent.”
“Türkiye surely would have acted,” he stated.
Gaza similarities
Latic sees plain similarities between what occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the present bloodbath in Gaza.
Bosnian Muslim girls react amid the grave stones of victims killed in the course of the Srebrenica genocide, on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 11, 2025. (Reuters Photo)
“There are deep parallels between the Serbian Chetnik and Zionist movements. They collaborate to this day,” he stated. “And it’s all because we are Muslims.”
Latic went on to emphasize that Zionism “cannot achieve its goals without genocide, without bloodshed.” Nor can the higher Serbian challenge, he stated. “It’s impossible.”
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Palestine, he says, are inherently related. “The Muslim world, and the broader democratic world, must recognize this.”
“Without military and economic protection, Islam and Muslims cannot survive,” he added.
Latic says the present occasions are too severe.
“We can’t afford to waste a single minute. We should unite, assist each other, and put together for the worst. We should pursue our objectives – objectives of peace, of justice. Peace on the earth.
“Protection of every human life, regardless of faith,” he added. “Our prophet taught us not to protect only Muslim lives, but the lives of all innocent beings. To oppose oppression in every form. To fight for the freedom – not just of Muslims – but of all humanity.”
Shame for worldwide neighborhood
What occurred in Srebrenica stays a mark of disgrace for the worldwide neighborhood, because the city had been declared a U.N. “safe haven” for civilians in 1993.
When Bosnian Serb forces broke via two years later, hundreds fled into the forests, whereas many sought shelter at a U.N. compound, which was previously an industrial zone on the city’s entrance, within the hope that Dutch U.N. peacekeepers would defend them.
Instead, the peacekeepers watched as Serb troops took males and boys from the compound for execution whereas bussing the ladies and ladies to Bosnian government-held territory. Meanwhile, within the woods round Srebrenica, Serb troopers hunted the fleeing Bosniaks, killing them one after the other.
To disguise the proof, the killers piled a lot of the our bodies into rapidly made mass graves, which they subsequently dug up with bulldozers and scattered the our bodies throughout quite a few burial websites.
In the years since, our bodies have been unearthed and the victims recognized via DNA testing. About 1,000 victims stay to be discovered, based on authorities.
Bosnian Muslims mourn over the caskets with the stays of their family forward of a burial ceremony on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 10, 2025. (AFP Photo)
The U.N. has additionally been criticized for failing to authorize NATO airstrikes to help the calmly armed Dutch troops in July 1995.
Recognition
Last yr, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a decision designating July 11 because the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.”
The decision included the 2007 ruling by the International Court of Justice, the U.N.’s highest tribunal, which declared that the Srebrenica bloodbath constituted genocide. It marked Europe’s first genocide for the reason that Nazi Holocaust in World War II.
In a press release commemorating the genocide, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated the worldwide neighborhood should proceed to face towards hatred, division and denial.
“Only by recognizing the suffering of all victims can we build mutual understanding, trust and lasting peace,” Guterres stated in his message delivered by Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray on Tuesday.
“We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard – countering denial, distortion and revisionism.”
Latic described Guterres as “a fair man – or as fair as he can be.”
“Guterres supports us and rightly supports Palestine. Of course, to the extent that he is able to.”
A Bosnian Muslim girl stands amid grave stones of victims killed in the course of the Srebrenica genocide, on the memorial cemetery within the village of Potocari, close to the jap city of Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 11, 2025. (Reuters Photo)
In distinction, he referred to as Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who served because the U.N. chief from 1992 to 1996, “a hypocrite” who “literally worked for the Chetniks and the Serbs.”
“He came to Bosnia only to make a bigger mess. He was actively on the side of the aggressor,” stated Latic.
Today, the Western world is present process a serious transformation, the place “interests and forces collide,” based on the professor.
Yet no Muslim nation holds a seat on the U.N. Security Council, he famous. “We, like Muslim countries, even Türkiye, have no real power within the U.N. system.”
But Latic stays hopeful {that a} unified Islamic political bloc will emerge in response to the shifting international order.