30 May 2013 - ICTY

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2347. According to documentary evidence, on 19 November 1992, Lieutenant-General Ratko
Mladić sent a directive to the commander of the VRS Chief of Staff. 5025 In this directive,
Mladić decided that the Drina Corps’s forces in the wider Podrinje region should exhaust the
enemy, inflict losses on him, and force him to leave the Birač, Žepa, and Goražde areas
together with the Muslim population. 5026
2348. According to the Adjudicated Facts, in January 1993, Bosnian Muslim forces attacked
the Bosnian Serb village of Kravica. Over the next few months, the Bosnian Serbs responded
with a counter-offensive, eventually capturing the villages of Konjević Polje and Cerska,
severing the link between Srebrenica and Žepa and reducing the size of the Srebrenica
enclave to 150 square kilometres. 5027 Bosnian Muslim residents of the outlying areas
converged on Srebrenica town and its population swelled to between 50,000 and 60,000
people. 5028 On 13 April 1993, the Bosnian Serbs told the UNHCR representatives that they
would attack the town within two days unless the Bosnian Muslims surrendered and agreed to
be evacuated. 5029 On 16 April 1993, the UN Security Council responded by passing a
resolution, declaring that “all parties and others treat Srebrenica and its surroundings as a
“safe area” that should be free from armed attack or any other hostile act.” At the same time,
the Security Council created two other UN protected enclaves, Žepa and Goražde. 5030
2349. According to a document containing an analysis of combat operations during
Operation Udar, the operation lasted between 14 February and 25 April 1993. As a result of it,
Serbian territories in the area of central Podrinje were “liberated” and the enemy was
squeezed into enclaves whose dimensions were determined by the UN forces. Also, important
roads were liberated and regular traffic was re-established along several roads, including those
going though Kravica and Konjević Polje. 5031
2350. In this respect, the Trial Chamber has also reviewed an excerpt from Mladić’s
notebook entitled “Plan of action in Operation Udar” (exhibit P392), summarized in chapter
6.3.3 in relation to the Skelani camp, indicating that on 28 February 1993, Franko Simatović
together with inter alia Mladić, Panić, and Ojdanić, attended a meeting at Mount Tara to plan
5025 P385 (Directive for further operations of the VRS, Ratko Mladić, 19 November 1992), pp. 1, 7.
5026 P385 (Directive for further operations of the VRS, Ratko Mladić, 19 November 1992), p. 5.
5027 Adjudicated facts I, fact 408.
5028 Adjudicated facts I, fact 409.
5029 Adjudicated facts I, fact 412.
5030 Adjudicated facts I, fact 413.
5031 P3118 (Analysis of the execution of Combat Operations in Operation Udar, undated, unsigned), pp. 1-3.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 845
30 May 2013