The population of the enclave fled, some through the woods, others followed the Dutch suggestion to move to Potocari close to the UNPROFOR compound.

The Dutch allowed 5-6000 refugees into the compound then insisted that a further 25000 or so remain outside.

When Mladic’s forces arrived the Dutch contingent assisted the Bosnian Serb Army separate the men and boys from the women and young children among the refugees outside the base.

Then even though they had seen the evidence of the Bosnian Serbs raping some of the women and killing some of the men they ordered the refugees inside the compound – under their protection – to leave, effectively handing them over to what was for the men almost certain death.

The Dutch State is being sued as a sovereign state by Hasan Nuhanovic and the family of Rizo Mustafic for the failure of Dutch troops to protect Hasan’s father, mother and brother and Rizo Mustafic from death when they were ordered out of the base. The UN as an international organisation is being sued by the Mothers of Srebrenica because it failed to provide the safety it had guaranteed the people of the “safe area” of Srebrenica.