Secret grave in Srebrenica finally found

Friday 03 August 2012

A secret grave in the former Dutch enclave in Srebrenica has revealed the bodies of two women, two men and a baby.

The grave was finally discovered a week ago and on Thursday the five bodies were uncovered. They were lying next to each other, some of them wrapped in plastic, some in blankets, the NRC reports.

It was known that between five and nine muslims were buried in the enclave, but the search for the grave was hindered by the defence ministry.

Bosnian muslims sought protection with the Dutch soldiers serving with the UN when Sbrebrenica was overrun in July 1995 by Bosnian-Serb forces under the command of Ratko Mladic. Thousands of people were housed in an abandoned factory in the Dutchbat area, where between five and nine died from exhaustion or a lack of water or medicines.

16 years

In 2011, Dutchbat soldier Dave Maat revisited the area and discovered the families of the dead had been looking for the bodies of their loved ones for the past 16 years.

He approached the defence ministry and asked for information about the location of the grave but was told this information was confidential.

Following pressure from the media, the ministry agreed to reveal the whereabouts of the grave.

The five bodies will undergo dna testing to establish their identity and the cause of death. They will then be reburied in the presence of family and friends.

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